That Look: Retribution of Heirs
by MistressWinowyll
Summary: An offshot of That Look by Lord Of The Land Of Fire, starting from Ch 59. Temari surrenders herself to avoid war. Anko and Naruto have a painful history that has to go through its course. Now it is time to ask what he wants: Love or Being Hokage. Hinata can help, but at what cost? Naru/Anko/Hinata, Tem vs Shika
1. Ch 1 Wait for me

**A/N: This is an offshoot of That Look Chapter 59, a story from Lord Of The Land Of Fire.**

**Alright everyone, this was one of the directions I would have taken the story should LOTLOF abandoned it. He was going to give it to me, but I convinced him to wait a week and, thankfully, he decided to keep it and updated it.**

**Trust me when I say he WAS going to abandon it.**

**As far as what differences go on between my story and That Look, LOTLOF's original story, well, that's to be found out. I hope you enjoy my little slice of his story!**

**Your Mistress.**

* * *

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 1 Wait for me

There was no way Temari was going to sit idly by while the fate of Suna was being sealed by small minded politicians who cared more about their reputations than for the lives of their people. She also refused to let her brothers' deaths be for nothing. This wasn't really about reputation or the laws between the hidden villages anyway, it was about family, about justice, about one sibling doing what was needed against an enemy who had wronged them and had to be made to suffer.

Yes, she was not foolish enough to believe Gaara had not killed Akamichi Chouji in cold blood, but if their Hokage had deemed his death part of the exams and no crime that should have been the end of it. And it had been, at least, on the surface.

Looking underneath the underneath she had wondered if it had all been a ruse to coordinate her little brother's execution. Had it all been one vast conspiracy with the Hokage and the clans all acting in concert to avenge one of their own? Ninja weren't supposed to be motivated by revenge, but of course she knew what a lie that was.

Even she was guilty of it. Revenge was the root of what was one of her biggest fuck ups of her life. Kankurou had paid with his life. Now an untold number of other people were going to suffer in the wake of her actions.

Temari would not permit that to happen!

Then there was that boy… that _baka_ with a lazy attitude and a smart mouth. He had everyone eating out of his hands at the exam and used it as an excuse to run away from her and get what was coming to him.

Oh how she had want to rip him to meat in front of his family, his friends, his people for what he did to Gaara!

Now, all she could see was Kankurou with his throat slit, blood coming out of him and coating his black suit. When she had to identify the body with Baki, she stared at him deeply, sorrowfully.

She was alone. There was no one left except her to be the heir of Sabaku.

While Baki had not said anything, she could feel his glare at the nape of her neck. She had done this to her brother and now to Suna as a whole.

Him…that boy was just as much at fault for this as she was. She didn't know the truth, but one thing she was certain of. That Nara Shikamaru HAD to have been involved in it; though he had not even been a Chuunin then.

Had he done what not even the hardest killers of Suna couldn't do?

It could only be true when he was the one who had openly threatened to kill Gaara and just oh so _conveniently _had three clan heads provide him an alibi during the time of Gaara's death. While she couldn't prove it and she sure as hell didn't know how he did it, when she found out that the clan heads stood up in his defense that had been enough for her to confirm what she knew.

How could he do this to her! That boy! What did he know of the trials of living in an environment as harsh and unforgiving as the desert? What did he know of loving someone that would just as soon as kill you if you crossed them?

He was her brother! They didn't know him when he was little! She was the one who stayed up nights, trying to comfort him when he couldn't sleep and needed to have someone just share his space! She was the one that fed him and endured the harsh stares when the sand around him became sentient! She was the one who changed his diapers and helped him walk!

She nursed him when all of the other kids were afraid of him!

She was the one he had went to when he had to kill his own uncle, Yashamaru, and came back bloodied with the word 'Love' etched into his forehead!

She was the one to see him turn from the boy who needed her to answer all those unanswerable questions about shinobi life and why he was a monster.

"You are a weapon, Gaara." Temari explained to her brother simply, reciting what her father and the other council members along with the shinobi people had labeled him. "Your job is to seek out the enemies of Suna and kill them. The power inside you makes you frightening to people, but it will let you protect the village one day."

In the smallest voice possible, he whispered while clutching his teddy bear, "I don't want to be a monster. I just want my uncle. I just want to play with the kids in the park. I…I just want someone to not be afraid of me."

Temari steeled herself, doing what she felt was needed at the moment. Taking her first steps and then another, she attempted the simple gesture that she had enjoyed when her mother was alive.

She tried to hug him.

As soon as she had raised her arms, Gaara flinched as if getting ready to get hit by her. This is before her uncle had tried to assassinate him. So at this point, he was well aware that Temari wouldn't do such a thing but her actions of approaching him, arms out and that fearful look, the tremble in her fingers and hands.

Whatever she was doing was abnormal to him and she didn't like it. It wasn't right that a child should be scared of being hugged by his own sister.

His sand thrashed into life, ready to defend Gaara should he need it.

It was no use.

Lowering her arms, she couldn't stand the look she had seen in his teal blue eyes.

It wasn't so much that she saw fear in them, but that she knew that he was doing nothing more than reflecting the emotion she was expressing herself.

She was just as scared.

Seeing no point in her attempts, she had left him alone. As a sister who was supposed to protect him, she had failed. It was the last time she had ever tried to embrace her brother.

"Now he's gone," Temari whispered to the empty room her brother had occupied, feeling her voice was too loud consider the solemnity of what was happening.

She had not gone straight back to her room as ordered by the Kazekage, but took a look inside the rooms of her siblings. It had taken some maneuvering to get around the chaos that was Kankarou's habitat. Wooden planks, joints, screws and all sorts of diagrams, sketches, and blueprints littered every available space. Truthfully it was more of a workshop than a bedroom. His bed was unmade and appeared to not have been so for a long time.

Some underwear stuffed unceremoniously into clumps in a draw that had half of its drawers left open.

Fingering through some of the unfinished drawings and the ins and outs of some of the puppet designs, she laughed when she remembered the first puppet he ever received: A rabbit. Oh, had she wanted to howl that day. If it hadn't been for Baki's strict instructions that his puppet was a tool that could kill, she had taken it with a bit more respect when she found that the rabbit was more dangerous then she could imagine.

It was quick.

Needless to say, he had received several puppets after that.

Looking at the wall, she saw them: A rabbit, a rat, a beetle, a crow, a monkey, and then the collection he had found that were the personal possessions of Sasori of the Red Sand. Her brother coveted them like a lover. He studied them for months on end before he was brave enough to tear them apart and put them back together again. He was so proud when he felt sure enough to actually add poison to the spurs or blades.

They were now an extension of him as a person. The puppets of one of the legends of Suna were now his. Kankurou had a place within the community of Suna as an elite. He belonged to the family of Sabaku now in his own way. Temari had been proud of him. Though, that was not something that had linked them as brother and sister. Their youngest brother, Gaara, had brought them together out of fear for their lives. Those many nights when he had stalked the halls of their homes, staring gloomily about as if looking for something, anything to take his anger out on.

The voices he was hearing telling him to do untold things made him look at her brother and herself as if weighing the choices of doing bad things to them…

…terrible things.

Eventually, and with some obvious effort, he looked away.

Why?

She didn't know, but for whatever reason he didn't, she knew she owed it to him, and she had tried many, many times to bring back what was left of his humanity. It wasn't there anymore. Shukaku had taken it from him and created the monster that inhabited her brother, the maniac that was now her sibling.

Now, she had messed up.

It was her place, as the eldest sibling of Subaku, to do what was needed to put her failure to rest as well as any retribution that was coming to her.

"Good bye, Kankurou, my itotou." She touched his pillow with a few strands of hair on them. Under the pillow she found a porn magazine that had pictures of women in different types of positions that made her laugh.

She knew he had these things, but she had to cluck her tongue at the idea of the women in there: Women of the Land of Flowers Gone Wild.

Laughing…

She needed to laugh…

None of her brothers would ever make Chuunin…

Her stomach hurt, her knees buckled.

Jounin…possible Kage…

She wanted to show Gaara the love she had for her people instead of the faces he passed by who hated him. He would have made a great Kage if he had just a little more time, maybe the right influence…

The tears started to come when, at her kness, she found one of Kankurou's stupid cat ear'd cowls.

They would never know fatherhood. They would never know what it was to extend the family of Sabaku and teach them the culture of their people.

Picking it up, she took a deep inhale, remembering through her olfactory sense what used to be her brother. He was there, with her now.

She was sure of it.

Crumpling it in her fists, she couldn't help but pass by some of the assorted colored paints that made up her brother's 'war paint'.

"You always looked like some weird drag queen with that on." She huffed, touching some of the paints and brushes, the mirror he had used as a vanity so many times.

"It's war paint!" He would indignantly reply. "It brings out my inner warrior!"

Now he was no more.

She put his cowl over her head and turned towards Gaara's room.

Spartan wouldn't even accurately describe what it held in detail. All he had was a chair, a dresser, and a balcony to oversee the city and get a good view of the stars, the moon, and the evening horizon over the dunes.

He didn't need a bed.

On the sparse dresser, she saw what she was looking for: Gaara's white sash.

Taking it, she also gave it a whiff.

"We're together again." She exhaled, closing her eyes and thinking of what she had to do now.

Taking the few steps to Gaara's balcony, she didn't have squint her blue eyes hard to see what was happening. It was well into twilight now and the winds were blowing into the west. She had gotten used to squinting like so to avoid the granules of sand in her eyes. Before her, you would have thought some kind of execution was about to be carried out.

There wasn't.

Two rows of Suna Jounin were holding torches, ten a piece on each side, and in the middle of their escort was a single person.

The Jounin Leaf Nin ambassador: Mitarashi Anko.

There was no doubt where she was going and, with the severe look on each one of the Suna nin's faces, it was obvious they were ready to do the necessary deed of ending her life should she even flinch in the wrong way.

To her credit, Anko had kept a grim visage of cool acceptance should any of Temari's fellow shinobi's enact upon it.

She was obviously not afraid to die. If anything, the woman's dismissive acceptance seemed all the more proper.

There was war in her eyes.

War…

"I'll see you soon, my brothers." Temari tied the white sash around her shoulders with a tug. "Wait for me. I promise to meet you soon enough."


	2. Ch 2 Surrender

Slipping past the Suna security was not a hard feat for someone who had access to the emergency tunnels underneath the barriers created by Gaara. When they were younger, he had used his jinchuuriki ability to dig impressively intricate weaves for the sake of getting out of the village or in the village if there was ever a desire to remain visibly inert from the surface. It also helped him wonder about underground, patrolling undisturbed for hours on end, finding different minerals to harden his already impenetrable defense globe.

When her little brother was being particularly 'nice', he would call out to his older siblings and say in a slow but curt manner, "Come with me."

And they did.

A labyrinth of impressive proportions, only Kankurou and herself knew how to get through it and to surpass all the little 'seal' traps that were laid by both her brothers.

*click*

She stepped on a trigger and turned a rock on her right at the same time. Had she not and just released the trap without applying the safety she would have been rittled with poison sebons.

Moving forward, she had the assistance of a mild light jutsu that every shinobi could use with the help releasing some chakra in their palm. It was not something to be used if they wanted concealment, but worked in cases where a source of illumination was necessary.

"Love only yourself."

She had ran into a wall that Gaara had set up as a voice responsive seal. If you didn't know the code, it would crush you.

He didn't seem all that concerned if they had listened or not, but he insist that if something had happened to him he would be highly upset. Though both wondered what could be worse then being crushed to death, he assured him that if he found them, he would absorb their blood and their souls and let Shukaku do with their souls as he pleased.

They never forgot the phrase after that warning.

Temari glanced around the intersecting tunnels as they came, turning here and moving there swiftly, it would soon come time for her to surface and she felt secure she was alone. Her father was aware of the tunnels under the city and had tried to figure them out on his own and without Gaara's assistance, but that had been a horrible idea.

Many shinobi had died for it in one way or another.

The Kazekage was not pleased that some of the supporting structure to the whole of Suna were used like an ants burrows for the sake of his son's amusement. Though undeterred, Temari felt that Gaara not only didn't care, it was his way of saying that it was his choice and one to be used on a whim if he decided the fate of Suna should be nothing more then a huge sink hole.

Now, the threat was gone.

Looking about and feeling the grainy texture of the wall over head, she knew she was where she needed to be by a simple marker.

Roots.

An oasis was close by and that was considered the marker about a mile and a half outside the village for those coming on a diplomatic purpose.

Weaving through some seals with her fingers, she called out softly, "Sand Periscope No Jutsu."

A plane of sand became reflective as she pressed her hand against the ceiling. The night sky became visible with stars twinkling and to her left a small fire.

The silhouette of a single person sitting cross-legged at its base caught her attention as did the short hair and trench coat.

"It's her."

Swallowing and painfully aware that this was her last chance to head back, she shook her head after giving her sash a tug, adjusting her fan, and fixing the cathood on her head, she firmed her chin and spoke to the spirits of her brothers that were with her.

At least in her heart.

"I'm ready."

* * *

When the sand parted for her, Temari peeked over the small berm with the caution of a veteran shinobi on an espionage endeavor.

Her enemy was out there and she knew she was crossing the line between the wishes of her father, that bastard, the Kage of her village, her brother, and even her own inner voice that was telling her that suicide was not the answer...

...but what choice did she have?

Despite her inner turmoil, she knew this was the only way to save her people from a senseless war that she knew she had started.

Licking her lips in the chilling night, she knew the desert was a savage place, being scorching in the day and freezing during the evening, she knew that if she was going to present herself it would have to be soon.

But how would she do it?

Watching the fire that was built in a rather shallow hole, she smirked a bit at the thought that Konoha shinobi _had_ to do better then this. Seriously, this person was a jounin?

Then another thought crossed her mind. Glancing left and then right, this could be done so those Suna nin that were probably out out in the dunes keep a vigil on Anko could see her as clear as day and she appeared to be leaving in a non threatening manner.

She supposed it was good, but then there was another problem.

If they were watching her, how could Temari approach them without alerting her whereabouts?

While it was common to have more then a couple of roaming teams escorting guests through out the vast wasteland, Anko had been left on her own devices. Temari knew why and it made her growl silently.

Her father wanted every capable body to secure the village. Him refusing to hand over his daughter and the last heir to Sabaku was tantamount to saying he knew what Konoha wanted and they shall not have it.

While he was sure he was offering a decent compensation, Temari knew that blood called for blood.

She had wanted the same.

Now their Hokage was demanding justice, but on a much different scale with a costly tally.

In broad daylight with mission ranks and official decrees. This wasn't an assassination attempt, but real life threats with open hostility.

_Damn it, _she thought, _I need to get this over with or people, other then myself, are going to be killed._

Little did she know a small coral snake had peeked its head from the sand to her right and slithered away.

* * *

"It issss her, Missstresssss." The coral snake called out as it curled around her neck affectionately.

"Hmm," Anko was staring at the prone position of Temari from a little ways off in front of her. The 'her' that Temari was spying on was an earth clone. "Are there any others?"

"Yessss, but they are too far away. Shhhhall we disssspossse of them?" It inquired in its silibant hiss.

Anko was already shaking her head, but she knew time was of the essence and if she was going to succeed in her mission precautions were going to have to be made.

"Send the message to the response team at the border 'Flash The Sands'."

That was a coded message for the teams across the border to create distractions so the mirroring Suna nin on this side will have their forces attention divided.

Taking a soldier pill from her pouch, she chewed it up and swallowed.

"Those things taste like crap."

"Anything elssse, Missstress?"

"Yeah, get your brothers to surround her and..."

* * *

Temari reached back to adjust her fan that was digging into her hip when, she wasn't sure when, but just a little off to her right she thought she saw a branch with beady little eyes staring at her.

Okay, that branch with eyes was flicking a forked tongue at her...

A pit viper?

She was positive that wasn't there before so that could only mean one thing: A summons.

_Orochimaru?_ Temari blanched, glancing to her left and saw the spade hood of a cobra present itself to her. _What was he doing here?_

Then something else caught her attention, the presence of a body looming over her from behind. "Let me guess, couldn't sleep? Needed a stroll out in the country? Unless you are trying to provoke another international incident, I think you're about a mile and some change away from home."

Temari blinked, still staring at the silhouette in front of her.

It was still there.

"Clone?"

"Yep."

So this was the level of Konoha shinobi. Temari growled at herself, this was the second time she had been made a fool of.

Sighing in defeat, she opened her fingers in a gesture of supplication. "I'm surrendering myself."

Anko frowned. "You know your father has refused to release you to us, so you'll have to understand if I'm a little cautious to your more then willing walk to the executioner's block...oh, I mean 'trial'."

Temari found no reason to encourage Anko's jovial teasings.

"Also, he said he was going to have a team of shinobi escort me out to the border, but they all broke off and head back just a few miles ago. Mind telling me what that is all about?"

When Temari tried to turn herself to give Anko a smoldering look, the sand viper hissed at her, coiling itself, scratching it's scaly hide in warning.

"I wouldn't try anything," Anko grinned, her teeth flashing with a kunai appearing in her hand, flipping it with a lazy expertise. "You'd be best off having me slit your throat then letting him bite you. It's quite painful and the poison is rather lingering. Of course, I'm sure you know all about poisons from what I was told about your brother."

Temari simply nodded, relaxing herself against the ground. "The Kazekage probably called everyone back to strengthen the village's defenses."

"Uh-huh, and this?" Anko removed a scroll with an unbroken seal from the Kazekage himself.

"I don't know."

Anko said nothing as she considered what she heard.

"So what do we do now?" Temari asked face down in the sand.

"Oh, that's easy!" Anko grinned, reaching inside her coat and pulling out a blank scroll. Opening it up, she went through a long series of hand seals and pressed her hands on it with a small whisper, "Container no jutsu."

Temari's wide green eyes gawked at what was being implied. "You can't be serious!"

"No? Well, you have to remember my job is to get you back to be put on trial." Anko gave her kunai another expert flip, "Now, how many pieces or broken limbs I bring you back in doesn't matter to me, but over all having you there while you are present will fulfill my obligation. Now, we can do this the easy way or..."

Flip.

Scowling, she measured the size of the scroll and the quality of the seal. It was top notch and she had no doubt that whoever this woman was, she was indeed linked to Orochimaru somehow. The bastard was an absolute marvel when it came to seals and this girl had obviously had some proficient training in them.

"Are you really with Konoha?" She asked as she stood up, but her movements were hindered by the slithery feel of four snakes, boas to be exact, coiling from the dune that she had been laying on and now crawling over her in perfect creepy, coiling, slithering, hissing...

"Who else would I be with?"

Temari was about to answer that when she decided to hold her breath or scream.

"Shhh," Anko touched her cheek when she felt the fear coming off of her and exciting her snakes. "Don't make any sudden moves and you'll be okay...for now. I won't make any promises until we get back to Konoha, though."

"Other then the fan, ssssshe'ss clean, Missstresss." One of the boas called out.

"I-I hate snakes!" Temari was sure to wet herself if they didn't get off of her soon.

"Now that's disappointing," Anko sighed dramatically, "You come all this way to kill yourself and you're not going to take one of us Leaf nin with you? I'm insulted!"

"I swear I'm doing this to prevent a war!"

"Oh, how lovely of you! You know what else prevents wars? Not killing a fuck'n heir to one of the greatest clans in our village." Anko chided as he watched Temari relax when the serpents eventually slithered away from her. "Now step on this seal and close your eyes. I hear it's kind of disorientating."

"But," Temari paled at the idea of being in the scroll for who knows how long. Her imagination was already coming up with scenarios of being sealed, alive and in the scroll only to be thrown down a cliff or crevice and meant to exist an eternity in perceptive dullness. "Why can't I just run next to you? I promise to come along quietly."

"Oh, how wonderful! An honest enemy! Well, then that makes everything okay!" Anko grinned cheekily.

"Really?"

"Hell no, now stand there or I'm taking off." Anko was already walking backwards. "As much as I want to complete my mission, I'm not forcing you to come. If you say it's of your own free will, then I'll need to make sure you come on my terms. It'll be faster that way."

"Alright!" Temari swallowed again, paling at the idea of being sealed away in the darkness of the scroll.

She heard rumors of it and it didn't alleviate any of her fears of how safe it was. The eldest daughter had heard of tragedies of someone being sealed away and then being released with all their body parts in the wrong places, being turned inside out...

"Alright," she whispered to herself, staring at the scroll again with a heavy lump of dread in her belly and took that one last step onto the scroll. "What I do now, I do for the sake of my village."

Anko's hands were already moving in seals, "And what I'm doing I'm doing for mine."

Temari closed her eyes, waiting for it...

...waited for it...

CRACK!

The blond haired kunoichi fell flat on her ass, knocked out cold.

Anko flexed her fingers with a satisfied grin, "Okay, that was just for fun, but this is for the village."

Sliding the large fan off of Temari's holder, she pushed open another scroll and encased it in that scroll.

"Oh, yeah, this may sting a bit."

Pulling out a hypodermic needle, she injected the creamy substance right into Temari's neck with a sharp stab. After that, she quickly cuffed Temari's hands in mitts that wouldn't allow any kind of seal forms and shackled her wrists together, she decided this was about as ready as she could get her without too many surprises.

She really was enjoying this.

Ensured that Temari was now drugged, unarmed, and bound, she heard her summons at her neck, "Missstressss...we musssst leave or you are going to have company sssssoon."

Nodding, she pulled Temari over the scroll seal and bit her thumb.

Tracing a few runes over Temari's forehead, she quickly finished with a nod. "SEAL!'

Temari disappeared in a cloud of smoke, filling a scroll with a marker stating that it was carrying a living body named 'Special Contents'. Rolling the scroll up, she stuff it in her trench coat.

"Lets go."

In a flash, Anko was pushing the infused chakra from her soldier pill to her feet at break neck speed. What should have taken five hours to get back to the border had only taken her two and a half...

...and then another three to make it to the gates of Konoha.


	3. Ch 3 A Toast and Office Decorum

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 3 A Toast and Office Decorum

It had never been Tsunade's intention to start a war, so she wished with all her heart that it wasn't the case now.

Yet, what could she do?

Looking over her shoulder, there were the three clan heads, Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka sitting in chairs waiting with their Jounin patience and decorum. She saw the hard looks in their eyes, but in the most minute details were the slightest differences that marked them as individuals and not the soulless machines the Danzou would have them be.

She could still hear his voice as well as those of the other Clan Heads all crying out for war and vengeance before she dismissed them a few hours ago.

Only the Clan Heads of Team ten's children were present, including their sensei.

Fiddling with an empty cup she would have killed to have sake in it instead of tea, she took in each one of her guests.

Yamanaka Inoichi was struggling to keep his temper in check. He wanted blood. Tsunade watched his hand strayed to his kunai pouch more than once.

Out of respect for her shinobi, she allowed them to bear weapons in her office.

Out of respect for his Hokage, he would never pull it out while in her presence.

Still, it was there; the need for blood.

He wanted revenge so badly he could taste it. Ino was his little girl, his princess, his most precious flesh and blood outside of his wife Dita. Both him and his wife were screaming for revenge and had to have Shikaku immobilize them. They had only calmed down under threat of being placed in an ANBU holding cell. When the anger died down they wept in each other's arms and swore a shinobi's vow to kill those who had taken their sun from t heir sky.

With a shift of her honey brown eyes, she turned to the most gentle and protective of their trio: Akimichi Chouza.

Heavy hearted and his thick jowls slackened, his eyes were deeply wounded and reflected the loss of his son with a bleeding heart everyone could feel. In those soft, empathic eyes of his, there was worry for those children and parents who were always in constant danger. Being in the world of shinobi, no one was safe. There was danger everywhere. That was why the Academy weeded out those who could not bear it. It also spared the mothers and fathers who would never be forced to bury a child.

His wife wasn't as vocal as Ino's mother. She simply took the word of Chouji's death silently, knowing full well that it was his duty and sat in muted silence.

She hadn't eaten since. Her and Chouza's son would have carried on their shinobi way and shouldered the mantled honor of being the Sixteenth Clan Head of the Akimichi.

Now he was gone.

Turning her eyes ever so slowly towards Nara Shikaku, she was more worried about his reaction than she was the other clan heads.

It didn't take a Kage to know that deep in the depths of a Nara was a manipulating, scheming, strategic mind that would outmaneuver even someone as experienced as herself. She worried about Shikaku because the man was usually at least three steps ahead of everyone else.

His eyes just stared off into empty space: emotionless and stoic. Unreadable.

What was he thinking? What was he planning?

"Stop it, Father." Shikamaru mumbled out of the side of his mouth, deepening his slouch.

Shikaku didn't respond, just kept his eyes far and away, still seemingly oblivious of the world around him. Then, when Shikamaru nudged his father's knee with his own, Shikaku shifted his eyes so quickly, so suddenly full of wrathful hate, Tsunade was sure he would have struck him.

Shikaku and Shikamaru kept their eyes on each other, expressing and speaking in thoughts by a mere look. It was then did she realized what Shikamaru was talking about. With an eventual nod and ease of his tight shoulders, he seemed to exhale a breath he had been holding in.

Shikamaru noticed his father's off beat breathing pattern.

The Nara's were truly a gifted breed. Only a Hyuuga would have noticed the slight change, if they had taken the care to involve themselves in other people's emotions outside of their political affairs.

Then there was Shikamaru, the last remaining survivor of this generation's 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio. Unlike the others Shikamaru appeared relaxed and free of any brooding. He had been there to see both his teammates killed in front of his eyes. Tsunade did not _know _what had happened to Gaara following his murder of Chouji. Yet everyone strongly suspected that it was Shikamaru who had killed him and avenged his friend.

If that were really so, and Tsunade suspected it was, she would have thought he'd be just as adamant about doing the same for Ino. He wasn't though. He'd returned to the village and reported what had happened as calmly and dispassionately as though it were just another mission. He'd said not a word about war or about revenge.

Was that because he'd learned that vengeance never solved anything? Or was he playing a deeper game?

If anyone felt the need for vengeance, it was team ten's former sensei. The roguish son of Hiruzen Sarutobi was rumored to be quite the rebel in his younger days. He didn't believe in his father's peaceful ways till later on in his years.

Now, as he clapped his hand on Shikamaru's narrow shoulders, it was obvious he was adding his voice to those bellowing for revenge and war.

Rubbing her eyes, she did as they all did: they waited.

Her window was open to let out some of the smell of sweat and bring in fresh air. The sobering sounds of night seemed to bring a collective peace to their troubled minds.

Another day had passed, and in a few hours a new one would begin. Whether it brought peace or war rested largely on her.

"To hell with it." Tsunade reached into a drawer and pulled out a few bottles of sake.

Each Clan Head looked up from their own musings, each reacting in a similar way that made their Hokage chuckle.

Each one pulled out a small sake cup of their own from their kunai pouches, placing them on the top of her desk. Well used and scratched, each piece was a reflection of their owners. Inoichi's was well polished and cared for, Chouza's was bigger and sturdier, and Shikaku's was plain and unassuming.

Chouza stood to pour for everyone when the Hokage raised her hand to stop him.

"Please, allow me. I am the host here after all. It is my honor, as Hokage, to serve you as you have for me, the village, and each other."

Shikaku chuckled. "Hai Holage-sama."

Chouza nodded.

"We are honored to have the Hokage serve us," Inoichi mumbled.

She poured each one of them carefully, handing each back to their owners.

Asuma put his own down, patiently waiting for Tsunade to finish tipping the porcelain vase over to give him his fill.

Taking his cup with his thanks, he pushed it into Shikamaru's hands. "Here."

Shikamaru was startled, turning his eyes towards Asuma and then his father.

Shikaku only shrugged. "You've killed, you've survived an assassination, you've lost friends and are in the company to mourn those you've lost. There's only one thing left to make you a man, son."

All the men chuckled when his son blushed and Tsunade gave them all disapproving frowns.

"Don't look at me, I'm only serving sake," Tsunade grumbled, which caused a smattering of chuckles from each of the men.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune scolded from her side, squeezing poor Tonton in the process.

"Oink!"

"I'm not a virgin," Shikamaru mumbled in annoyed defense. "Ino and I…"

Three words too late Shikamaru snapped shut his mouth and sent a nervous look Inoichi's way.

The silence could have smothered an inferno, especially when Ino slapped a hard paw on the Nara youth.

"Shikamaru," Inoichi spoke with an affection that caught everyone off guard. "Did you forget her father is a shinobi? I've known for months."

In a nervous spout of chuckles, everything was back to how it was.

"I loved her, Inoichi-san," Shikamaru sighed heavily, thinking of the troublesome woman who had haunted his nightmares as well as his passions.

"I know, Shika," He patted the young shadow bender. "If you hadn't and I thought she was just using you in a way that wasn't proper, I would have grounded her and killed you."

Paling at the idea that his love's father would have gone to such measure, one thing came to mind. "Wait, what do you mean she using me in a way that isn't proper? I'm the guy!"

Everyone turned a look at Shikamaru that was politely reminding that between him and Ino, she was obviously the one who not only controlled what did and did not happen, she was obviously the more dominant and more sexually advanced.

"Right," Shikamaru took a cautious sniff of the stuff his father and friends consumed like water.

For a moment, this was just another day in the life of shinobi and even Tsunade, though their Hokage, was where they were, a healer and killer in the presence of men who could take as well as give in the moment of hardships like this one.

She had seen as many as they had, if not more.

Shikamaru mumbled about all this being troublesome, staring into the clear fiery liquid in his sensei's cup, but decided to be the first to raise the glass.

"To my friends and the future dulled by their loss." Shikamaru spoke.

Nodding silently, each Head member stood up, and, after Tsunade had poured a few more cups that had been stashed away from the prying eyes of Shizune, Asuma and her assistant took up a cup and gave a raise as well.

"To my daughter, the sun and flower of my soul," Inoichi spoke.

"To my son, the heart and shoulders of mine," Chouza spoke.

"To my students, who I have failed to protect from those who would take from Tree of the Leaf," Asuma spoke.

"To my shinobi, of our past and our future, may Kami and our friends protect us and know we love them…all of them." Tsunade spoke with fervent passion.

Shizune raised her glass, but lowered it down with sad, sad eyes. "I don't want anyone else to die."

With that said, she spoke what had not yet been said.

It was the life of a shinobi, a ninja to kill or be killed. What she asked for was the unsaid desire of most, but understood reality of what was going to happen. Very few of the shinobi of the leaf were considered blood thirsty, minus most Uchiha or Orochimaru in his later years.

Silence.

Raising their glasses again, Tsunade spoke for one and all, "To Konoha, our home. Let us protect it and our people."

"To Konoha."

The drank.

Shikamaru sputtered a bit as he tasted the fire burn through his gullet.

With a few affectionate slaps on his back, everyone gave another moment of silence.

In a flash, ANBU appeared in the middle of her office on one knee. "Hokage-same, we have news."

Everyone's eyes turned to their new visitor.

"Report." Tsunade answered with her usual authority.

"Mitarashi Anko is coming this way without any guards or other members of West Border group."

This wasn't good news.

Most reports, especially emissary reports from one country to another under such circumstances required some kind of guard. By having Anko come by her self meant that the guard was attacked and she was a lone survivor or she had not waited for a guard and rushed past deliberately because her message was just too damn important for delays.

"Where is she now?" Tsunade asked, when Anko answered her through the large open window behind her desk.

"Out of the way!"

Their Kage was already scooping up her bottle of precious sake when the before mentioned jounin crashed onto her desk and tumbled onto the floor gracelessly. Chouza caught her in mid stumbled when everyone else took up defensive positions staring out the window expecting her to be under fire with a hail of kunai.

No visible enemy or Gatling gun fire of metal followed her.

Panting in heaving gasps, Anko's trademark grin still lit her face as she was able to recover some of wind by glancing about with her normally carefree attitude. "I'm…I'm not…interrupting, am I?"

"If there is nothing else, Hokage-sama."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke at Tsunade's dismissal.

Before the normally tsundre Hokage could turn her attention to their visitor, Anko was already taking advantage of the offered bottle, pushing it to her lips in a deep pull. After a rather impressive couple of chugs, the snake mistress slammed it down with a harsh gasp that had her cheeks burning with a smile of appreciation, "Now that is damn good sake!"

"Anko!" Senju Tsunade barked, snatching the pilfered bottle harshly. "This isn't the rotgut you get at the 'Copper Cellar'.

This was one of her prized labels, and the blonde haired Hokage was sure to give her a disapproving glare that said the swill Anko normally consumed was not allowed in the office of Legends..

Crestfallen, Anko tidied herself up a bit, still swaying on legs that were obviously sore from running across two countries and one of them at top speed.

Those soldier pills were some of the best the shinobi nations had to offer, and they had not blunted her appetite for good liqour one bit. When Anko took up a comfortable position against the wall and sat herself comfortably with her legs forked out with a content sigh, she cracked her neck a little and massaged her legs when she realized everyone was waiting for her.

"What?" She blinked at everyone, curious as to why she had all of a sudden became the center of attention.

"We're waiting." Tsunade smoothly crossed her arms over her impress bust.

"Oh, yeah," She grinned cheekily, pulling out a scroll from her trench coat. "This one is for you," She stood up and handed the scroll to Hokage with a rub of her head. "This is the counter offer the Kazekage has to offer."

Checking the seal, Tsunade snapped it open and scanned the parchment. "Twenty million ryo, no contracts outside of his country for five years, and all contracts he currently has will be transferred over."

All of the Clan Heads didn't even flinch when she took in their gazes, hoping beyond hope they would accept.

When she saw just the slightest shake of Nara Shikaku's head, she knew without a doubt that as tempting as the money and the progress would be, there was no way to over come the loss of two Clan Heirs and a deliberate strike against Konoha's own by something as superficial as money.

"I understand." She waved the scroll and placed it on her desk and off to the side. "I remember blaming Kami, Sarutobi, and every damn ninja that wasn't my comrade out there when I lost my brother and Dan."

Shizune took a few steps closer to her, placing and hand on her broad shoulder, "But this won't bring them back. Nothing will. Your children are gone and if we go to war, many more mothers will cry, generations will be lost on both sides, and for what gain?"

Inoichi was the first to stand up, but Chouza already had his hand on his friend's arm. Anger was guiding his actions now and the hurt in his eyes was as deep and dark as only a father could be.

"I l-lost my little girl," The ache in his words reflected the tears falling from his blue, blood shot eyes and the tremble in his lips. "You're not a parent, Hokage-sama, so don't tell me you know what it feels like."

Tsunade nodded, unable to reflect his true feelings, however she matched his hard look with one of her own. "I've lost my little brother and my fiancee', Inoichi. I was going to marry and have a child with him, but the ninja wars took that honor from me and took that right from Nawaki from finding love and having a family before it could take. You at least had the luxury of enjoying a marriage and children."

Her words were soft, civil, and compassionate, unafraid to receive some of her shinobi's anger if it will blunt just some of their revenge.

"You have wives, mother to children who are mourning still. Be thankful for what you still have and know that we could lose more."

Her words hung heavy in the air, but even Chouza was shaking his head.

That was a bad sign.

"We know that this," She tapped the scroll, "Is an offer to deter us so that they can mobilize with the other villages to hope a rally in their defense."

"No one will support them," Nara Shikaku spoke her mind. "Stone might help, but not after someone else has softened us up a bit. Cloud is too far off and Suna is still only a third in numbers from what we are. If they had help from some of the smaller nations..."

He let the thought go unsaid as each Clan Head considered what was not.

"Have they already got something cooking and some of their people are just quick to the draw?" Shikamaru lifted his head, giving the Hokage a meaningful look that said he was already putting pieces together that spoke of an intelligence well beyond his appearance and wisdom beyond his years.

"We could always ask them." Anko was adjusting one of the shin guards by her knee, tugging a strap so as to ensure it fit properly.

"Great, Anko!" Tsunade growled, looking ready to snatch the unruly Jounin from the floor and shake her till her teeth rattled. "Why didn't I think of that. Lets just pull one out of thin air and ask them, 'What plans does your Kage have against our village and why did he send his children to do it?'"

"Glad you asked," Anko reached into her pocket and flipped the next scroll right at Inoichi.

He caught it smartly, grumbling something impolite to the snake mistress. "I don't like games, Anko. I didn't like it when Orochimaru would do it so, and it's tolerated even less when his pupil mimics his annoying habits."

Anko leveled Inoichi a dangerous look, rolling her shoulders, she gave him a trademark grin that made Chouza stand up to protect his friend if need be. "You can apologize later for that."

Seeing as how neither one was going to break their glare, Shikaku took the scroll and unraveled it.

He blinked in surprise. "You have a biological container scroll."

Anko chuckled, breaking away to nod at Shikaku. "I see you are the smart one of the trio. Please tell the pretty one to either kiss me already or do something. He's pissing me off."

The head of the Nara Clan pulled Inoichi away from her to focus where he traced his fingers over a few of the signs he didn't understand. As knowledgeable as he was with them he was no where near the level of expertise as Anko was, due mainly by her tutelage under Orochimaru. Inoichi was a bit more proficient, mainly due to his Clan's specialty in mind control, but that was still just a few pegs over the average jounin.

"You have a person in here." Tsunade confirmed with a quick glance.

She was used to seeing her fellow Sannin's work up close and personal before.

Anko simply nodded.

"A Suna spy?" Inoichi asked curiously.

"I don't think so." Anko replied.

"A soldier?" Chouza asked cautiously.

"She works for them, so I'm sure she knows a bit." Anko answered evasively, again cheekily smiling at everyone.

"'She'?" Shikamaru repeated the word with a hint of disbelief.

Anko nodded.

"Who is she?" Tsunade asked, her voice a whisper now that she remembered what she had asked Anko earlier to try and retrieve the Kazekage's daughter that had instigated the assassination attempt in the first place.

Gathering herself to her feet, Anko bowed deeply to the Hokage and chuckled mischievously to everyone, especially Inoichi. "Mission Accomplished, Hokage-sama."

Everyone held their breath as Anko formed a familiar hand sign and called out, "Release."

Poof!

Tumbling to the floor in an unconscious heap was a bound, gagged, and drugged Sabaku no Temari.

Shink, Shink, Shink...

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama," Inoichi reversed the grip on his kunai as did his other very angry and vindication seeking partners, "but I intend to kill in your office today."


	4. Ch 4 Tell Me More

**AN: Greetings!**

**I am MistressWinowyll and I would like to say, "Thank You" to all my fellow service members out there for a belated "Memorial Day". Now then, if there are any one who are active in the military, please look me up for a program I am assisting in issuing out FREE LAPTOPS/COMPUTERS and Real Estate Courses at no cost to you.**

**I apologize for the delay in updates. My real life has been hectic but profitable. **

**Your Mistress.**

* * *

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 4 Tell Me More

The Ino-Shika-Cho team moved as one, lunging towards Temari as a well oiled machine set for one purpose.

To kill.

The veterans were the senior remaining team forged from synchronized decades of fighting battles and succeeding over most of their enemies. Throughout the ninja world, the Ino-Shika-Cho team always found some way to overcome whatever obstacle faced them.

They were legendary.

This time, though, when their Hokage let out an authoritative blare, they were beaten.

"Stop!" Tsunade barked out from behind her desk, going so far as to jump to her feet and slap her desk loudly.

It was not the threat that stopped them, but the cultured discipline.

Like all ninja, they were taught to put duty before all else, even personal retribution...

...except one.

It stopped Shikaku and Chouza, but Inoichi's blood lust was too strong. His need too great. Holding the kunai in his reverse grip so tight his knuckles turned white, he looked over his shoulder past his friends and to his Hokage.

"Don't deny me this."

He dashed forward.

Temari limp body lay one the ground bound, drugged, and defenseless.

Somehow seeing Temari's calm vulnerability made him furious. Inoichi wanted terror, sobbing, to hear this girl cry out and beg him for the mercy she did not deserve. Most of all, he wanted her to suffer. That, however, was something he would be denied. Inoichi also understood that Tsunade was the world's top medical nin and would save the Kazekage's daughter if his first strike wasn't true. Rearing back his arm intending to drive his kunai hilt deep into her heart, he pushed forward with all his might.

**_"Kagemane no Jutsu._"**

When he heard a voice behind him, it's source surprised him more than the jutsu did. Just as his arm was about to push through Temari, his entire body frozen in place.

"No! Don't!" Inoichi howled in impotent fury. His intended target mere inches away, still laying there, ignorant to the justice about to be issued. "She needs to pay! That monster took my princess! My little girl! My...My Ino-hime...Let me do this!"

Despite his outrage and struggle, Inoichi found himself slouching on the floor, his weapon casually tossed away and his hands stuffed into his pockets. While two people in the room had the ability to use this jutsu, it wasn't the father who had cast shadow bind, but the son.

Nara Shikamaru.

"Damn it, Inoichi!" Tsunade rounded her desk, stomping over to the blond pony tailed jounin and leveling a most damning glare. "I gave you an order!"

While it was not in the veteran to ever disobey his Hokage, this was a special circumstance. It was written all over his face that he thought so and would continue to do what he must as a vindictive father.

Without remorse, his team mates were right by his side to support his decision.

Straightening one long finger in front of all their faces, she gave a simple word of warning, "Don't."

They knew what that meant.

Do not test her.

Do not make a move to free their friend.

Do not disobey her word.

Do not harm their prisoner.

Do not cross the line.

"Just _don't_," Was her vehement warning and demand.

Only Inoichi was still trying to push his luck to get to the bound prisoner.

"Shizune," Tsunade growled, turning her back on the mind reader and walking back behind her desk to sit in heated frustration, "Get Temari to an ANBU holding cell and have her diagnosed fully to ensure she is in perfect health. If she so much has a chipped nail I want it documented. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Shizune was already, scooping the blond Suna kunoichi into an expert hold to get her to the cell.

"Go with her," Tsunade called out into thin air, only to have two ANBU appear right next to Shizune and disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Anko," twin pools of honey leveled onto raging eyes of pale blue from the mind bender.

"Hokage-sama?" Anko rolled her fingers into loose fists, unhappy with the turn of events as they unfolded them self.

"I want Inoichi put in a cell and have his Jounin status put on hold for."

The snake mistress's lips turned down unfavorably. She may not have liked the blond shinobi's tone, but she would do as she understood the need for revenge when the opportunity presented itself.

It was like the most delectable flavor being denied even though you could smell it.

Pity.

Still, if there was one thing Anko would and always do, was listen to her Hokage.

"Hai,"

With that said, Snakes slithered from Anko's sleeves and coiled up Inoichi with their entwining entrapment.

"Hokage-sama!" Chouza stepped over to her desk and got as close as he dared to, "Any father would feel this way about their child."

"Sit. Down, Chouza," Tsunade's narrowed honey eyes glared into the big mans, breaking the large frame into a more proper one. The Akimichi cowed instantly. "I will NOT have any of my shinobi acting out vengeance in my office!"

"Then anything that happens outside is fair game, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku mumbled around his scowl.

"I am warning you all," She raised a finger and took in all their heated glares, "she is not to be touched or harmed in any way without going through the motions of a trial and being properly questioned. Not only is she Suna royalty, but she has invaluable information to their defenses, the Kazekage, and, above all," She made a point to take in all their glares, even Shikamaru's, "if she was ordered by the Kazekage himself to assassinate Ino and Shikamaru or independently do it with her and her brother. I will not support a war that will cost the lives of tens of thousands of people if it was a solo act, especially when it's very possible that we may have instigated on the wrong side of the coin to begin with!"

All three Jounin plus Chuunin did not take that news well.

Shikamaru and Tsunade's eyes met while he kept his Jutsu on Inoichi, struggling to keep the older man at bay.

"I saw the report, Shikamaru," Tsunade pointed towards an open docket with several papers haphazardly askew. "Sarutobi called the incident forgiven and that is where it should have stayed. When you killed Gaara, you pushed the blade into Ino."

Everyone made a sound of disapproval at the Senju Tsunade's words.

"If that is true, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru drawled with his eyes narrowing only the slightest bit, "then I should be put under arrest and placed in custody for trial. Of course, that is if you have proof."

"Don't get me that crap!" She grabbed the front of his shirt, to shake him.

The young chuunin released his jutsu in time to avoid any mishaps transitioning over to his prisoner. Anko already had Inoichi bounded well enough to prevent any kind of escape. That didn't stop her from keeping her eyes to the left and right of her where the Yamanaka's team mates seemed ready to pounce on a moments notice.

"Gaara died of asphyxia through deterioration of the alveolar sacs! I checked out the autopsy reports and they confirmed it was a gaseous compound of three pretty common chemicals. By the way, Nara, how did you do in chemistry at the Academy?" Tsunade pressed her fists tighter against Shikamaru's slim neck.

"Horrible. I slept most of the time," The young chuunin answered easily, keeping his brown eyes keen to hers.

No one said a word.

"God damn it, Shikamaru! Can you see what's about to happen? Hundreds, possibly thousands could die!"

"Then I am glad I am not, Hokage. It sounds troublesome." He voiced back with a mildly bored monotone.

Tsunade's hands relaxed their grip on him, turning in time to face Inoichi and the other team members in the office.

"I want each and everyone of you to go home and stay there." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and spoke through her pinch fingers. "You are not to 'meet' each other for dinner, see how the other is doing, catch up with gossip or tell the other ghost stories. Is that clear?"

They knew she had already thought through to the potential ideas created through one house to the other. They would plan something to assist Inoichi or create strategies to get to Temari.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Chouza answered.

"Hai, hai," Nara Shikaku drawled, moving away from his Hokage, sharing one last look at Inoichi before exiting.

Ino's father could only reflect strict disappointment that his daughter's beloved would have turned on him. What surprised him, was the quick wink Shikamaru shared before he closed the door.

If there was one thing Inoichi knew about the Nara's, they were always scheming something, planning something ten or twenty steps ahead of everything else.

* * *

"Lets go, beautiful." Anko pulled at Inoichi's shoulder, ready to drag him should he resist. "You're on time out till you know how to play nice like the rest of the kids."

Following along obediently, Inoichi gave the spot where Temari had fallen a long hard glare before he found himself in the hall way with four ANBU to escort him.

Tsunade clenched her fists, unable to enact any kind of release for what had transpired here.

She knew what they were feeling. Where did she get off trying to keep them from the revenge they could have had right in front of them? Even though she would have been more then willing to let them loose upon Temari, it simply wasn't right.

At least, not without putting everything through its paces for the whole shinobi world to see they had went through the proper procedures to ensure they did, in fact, have right on their side.

Tsunade looked at the file one last time and saw, without a doubt, the part of a note that was taped on as in afterthought.

_Inuzuka's have confirmed Nara Shikamaru's scent in the presence of Gaara's at the time of his death._

She didn't want to give that much information out, even to the clan heads. She may not seem like it in their eyes, but she was on their side. Yes, she was still loyal to her people and she loved her village as much as her Senju clan had, but if she had to upset a few to protect the many she would do it.

Thinking of how her sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi had probably dealt with the many unfair decisions in the very same seat she sat in now, she did the one thing she would never let anyone see her do.

Hands on her eyes, thinking back when Dan and Nawaki had wanted to be where she was now, she wept.

"I miss you both so much..."

* * *

"Now you sit there like a good little boy, and I'll make sure to tell your wife you're on a mission instead of being an annoying little prick in an ANBU cell." Anko purposely loosened his binds inside the cell with the door wide open.

She even went so far as to put her kunai away to try and appear defenseless.

The glare Inoichi gave her could have lit fires.

A friendly smile was all he got back. "Of course, I could always tell her that you fell down the steps and, oh so, accidentally landed on a kunai a couple dozen times. It'd be a shame to lose the ability to have kids after having lost one, wouldn't it? Ino was her name, right?"

He made a very slight move towards her, opening his stance and raising his hands. Not quite a full fighting stance but an aggressive posture just the same.

Anko chuckled at him, showing him her back.

"I never liked you, Anko." Inoichi spoke quietly through his pinched lips. "Even when the Hokage accepted you back into the fold, I could never see you as anything but Orochimaru's little pet, let alone a real part of our team."

Slowly, ever so slowly she looked over her shoulder. Now he had her attention.

"The whole story of how he just abandoned you stinks. It's too convenient. Orochimaru was never one for letting sentiment get in the way of cutting loose ends. If he wanted to dispose of you, he would have."

He purposely stood an inch closer, chewing his words to show his restraint.

"Should have."

Now she faced him with her hands loose at her sides. The grin on her face was deadly.

Inoichi continued unfettered.

"I've never trusted you. Ibiki and I had many a chat about your loyalty."

Bringing up Ibiki's name lowered her lips to see how much of what he was saying was true or just trying to piss her off. Her and Ibiki worked well together, so when Inoichi brought up how the emotionless interrogator had wished her ill, she decided to take Ino's father's words for less then face value.

Inoichi continued.

"He didn't trust you back then either, but figured it would be safe enough to use you so long as you weren't given any real sensitive information. Truth to tell we had kept hoping you'd get killed." Inoichi shrugged, noticing he was not exactly in the best position to be on the receiving end of a well deserved ass kicking that could be covered up by 'resisting arrest' or 'bad behavior'.

"You kept coming back though." He chuckled lightly, looking around the sparse cell that was to be his habitat for who knows how long. "That son of a bitch trained you well. I'll admit that much."

Even after all this time, when her sensei's name came up, there was still that little bit of her that wanted to defend him. It was kind of like having a father that beat you, she supposed. You could hate him as much as you wanted to, but no one else was allowed to say anything against him.

"Yeah, he was a brilliant psychopath that knew how to twist people into any shape that suited him. It was so easy for me or anyone to love him. Even the Third had fallen to his charms so it's not hard for me to admit it." She gave him a wicked smile. "But then you know all about loving someone so much you'd do anything for them. Even going against your own Hokage, right?"

"Don't compare me to you or my love for my little girl to whatever it is you felt for that sick fucking bastard Orochimaru!" Inoichi shouted, clenching his fists and shifting his weight.

She was sure he was going to strike, but he chewed down his ire.

"You have no clue about what it means to lose a child. To watch them grow in your arms from infancy to adulthood. She was everything my wife, Dita, was and so much of us all as a Yamanaka. You can't possibly know what it's like to love someone like that or understand the pain of having them snatched away."

Anko gave the tiniest shrug, but she stayed anyways. If he wanted to talk that was fine, it would help to know what his weak points were.

It would also help keep her mind off a certain annoying blond haired ramen eating loud mouthed idiot for awhile.

"We are Shinobi," Anko offered with the tiniest bit of sympathy, "If you wanted your little girl to have a nice long life with lots of fat grandchildren you shouldn't have let her go to the Academy. You have a flower shop, right? You should have let her pick daises and flit about like some god damn teenager, thinking of boys and painting her nails. You're not ignorant of what it means to be ninja. Don't expect me or anyone else to really feel pity for you when you allowed your daughter to become a part of this world knowingly and she ended up on the wrong side of the odds."

Inoichi shook his head, they were getting absolutely no where.

"Going against the Hokage is never a smart idea, even if you are grieving."

This was as close to a sign of condolence she was going to give him.

Just as she turned around to leave, Shikamaru was waiting for her at the entrance to his cell. For a moment, Anko noticed the shared look between them and worried if she should arm herself.

Inoichi was not restrained and Shikamaru was blocking her path.

Her snakes reacted to her mood, writhing under her cloak. "Now isn't this awkward? Who wants to end this day with a fresh taste of tile?"

Surprising her, Shikamaru simply moved out of her way and leaned against the back of the wall. "I just wanted to have a small chat with him before you locked the cell."

Anko purposely strode between the two men, obviously noticing there was some hard feelings now that Shikamaru had betrayed him when Inoichi's chance to kill Temari had been thwarted by the boy who had supposedly loved his daughter.

Going outside of the cell, she closed it soundly, locked it and placed her hand on the steel to let glyphs glow when she applied her chakra.

"If anyone tries to use a jutsu, you'll be shocked so badly we'll find you on the floor pissing yourself. Got it?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Feel free to try and help him escape." Anko walked off without looking back. "We know where you live and I have no problem taking either your parents or your wife into an interrogation cell with Ibiki. I'm sure he would love to hear how one of you went against the Hokage's word."

Leaving it at that, she turned around to give them her less than friendly grin. "You have five minutes."

She shut the door to the hall way behind her, purposely locking it with a click.

No sooner did the bolt lock did Inoichi's arm reach through the bars and grab Shikamaru by his collar.

"You god damn traitor! I had her right there and you stopped me! Why? If you loved my daughter so much why would you deny me-"

"Inoichi," Shikamaru voiced with the most quiet respect, "Ino was as much my heart from the moment I met her as she was your little girl. I agree with you above all things. Sabaku no Temari needs to pay."

Seeing that focused glare that Inoichi has seen on Shikaku thousands of times, a lot of his heat that he had for his daughter's lover ebbed.

"What do you mean?"

Leaning forward, Shikamaru placed his hand on the blond shinobi's arm and said in a voice that was part conspiratorial loathing and part eagerness. "If you would have killed her, then what?"

"Ino would have been avenged." Inoichi answered easily.

"Yes," Shikamaru agreed, but obviously not content with that answer. "But would she have suffered anything?"

Inoichi could have sworn Shikamaru was reading his mind. Perhaps, he may have underestimated Shikaku's son after all.

"No, she would have been oblivious to it. You have something in mind?"

A long pause lasted a few heart beats before Shikamaru said something that made the Head of the Yamanaka clan shiver with delight and a bit of trepidation.

"How do you prevent a war between two great nations, maintain a peace, and still get the most painful and fulfilling revenge possible?"

Inoichi was so curious he licked his lips. The very malice coming off of Shikamaru's eyes was so thick it was palatable.

He was just as eager to get back at Temari as Ino's father was.

Nodding, Inoichi released his grip and leaned forward.

"Tell me more."


	5. Ch 5 Silent Words

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 5 Silent Words

"That has to be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard, Nara," Inoichi growled, his eyes pinched in rage. "And why would I even allow that to happen? Seriously, are you out of your mind!"

Shikamaru held his hand up to ward off Inoichi's anger. "Right now, you're still angry, but-"

"Alright you two, you can swap spit later and tell each other how much you missed the other in a few days if he's a good boy." After opening the door, Anko sauntered over to Shikamaru and pulled him by his shoulder.

"Just think about it!" Shikamaru called out as Anko pushed him roughly through the second door of the ANBU cell into a safe hall to get inspected for contraband.

Inoichi could hear Anko say, "Please tell me he passed you something. This is the part of the job I really enjoy. You're not ticklish, are you?"

Grumbling and swearing under his breath, Inoichi did all he could to try and out think Shikamaru. The idea was one of the most stupidest things he ever thought up and there was no way Tsunade would even allow it to happen.

Yet, a small part of him that did listen to Shikamaru that was unbiased and disciplined enough to consider it neutrally had to admit, there was some merit to this.

Looking up to the ceiling as if he could look into the heavens and ask his precious little girl for guidance, he decided to simply think of her and his wife who was at home right now, alone, angry, and, just like him, missing their daughter horribly.

* * *

"Remember, no talking with the Akimichi's. We've got both of your houses surrounded and we'll be more then happy to put you in a cell to make the next couple of days absolutely dreadful. Got that?" Anko warned with a firm finger in front of Shikamaru's nose.

"Hai, hai, Anko-san," Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited to see if there were any more questions or comments.

There was.

"Anko-san," The ponytail'd chuunin asked as Anko was about to flit away.

"Yeah?"

"How did you capture her?"

Turning around to give him her most sincere voice, she spoke quietly and firmly, "What I'm about to tell you is only for the Hokage and any other shinobi who will be involved in interrogating her. By me saying this will not only put your ass in a sling but mine as well. Now, as much as I don't mind wearing a thong, having the scariest bitch next to me ready to give me an ass kicking because you can't keep your trap shut will mean a one way ticket to your nads meeting my snakes, so if you want to have little lazy cloud watchers some day, you don't say a fucking word. Got it?"

Licking his lips, Shikamaru nodded.

And he thought blondes were troublesome.

"She surrendered herself to me." Anko quietly admitted. "I was already leaving to head back to the boarder when she caught up to where I was camping for the night. I offered her several chances to leave so as not to make another international incident, but she was adamant about coming here to die."

As much as it annoyed him to hear how selfless her act was to protect her village, he couldn't stop thinking of the way Ino died in his arms, trembling, sick, frothing at the mouth and then looking out to the world blindly after telling him she loved him.

He really hated Sabaku no Temari.

"Do you think she did it and Kankuro was following along?"

Scratching at the curse seal on her neck, Anko answered quietly, "My honest opinion?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Why would the Kazekage risk his own heirs for the vengeance of a child that could start a war with us? Those two were good shinobi, but if he wanted it done right, then why them? Any other shinobi could have been hired to do that outside of his village that could be used to contract both of your deaths. The way it was done was too amateurish and sloppy. Two chuunins versus two chuunins? A real Kage would have at least sent out a jounin for the sake of ensuring it was done right and the tracks were covered, possibly several jounin. He certainly had the resources."

Shikamaru nodded. Anko was definitely hitting on some very realistic and experienced ways of thinking as a leader.

"Then look at the reason. Gaara's death? From what we can tell from the intelligence we have on him and Suna's populace, they were as afraid of him as the people here are afraid of him as if he was a living shinigami. Gaara killed people on a whim just like he did your friend."

Shikamaru didn't even flinch at the mention of Chouji's death, but Anko could see the slightest slowing of his breathing to show his remarkable attempt of keeping emotionless.

"To actively call out that this was for vengeance for him? Him? No one but a dear friend or loved one would make that claim to someone as loathsome as him. From what we were able to get from our spies in Suna, there is even talk that he killed a family member. Trust me, Gaara was a sick bastard and anyone claiming to attack you and Ino for him had to either have a strong sense of duty or was just as sick themselves."

A part of Shikamaru hoped there was something twisted and sick about Temari, because the last thing he really wanted to do was see her as an honorable shinobi or sister who was trying to get back at those who took from her family.

Because, in the weirdest way, that made her a lot like him.

He had a lot to think about now.

"Thank you for your time, Anko-san," Shikamaru slouched away with a wave.

"You're nothing thinking of doing anything against the Hokage, are you?" Anko called out, growling a warning with a flick of her kunai in her hands.

"Nope," Shikamaru grumbled, "I'm going to do exactly what the Hokage said. I'm not going to talk to the Akimichi's tonight until I'm allowed to. Doing anything else would be troublesome."

"Fine," She put the Kunai away, thinking about doing things that she wasn't supposed to. It was getting late and her favorite blond should still be about with Jiraiya. She'd really like to see him.

"For what it's worth," Anko called out to him, making him stop in his tracks, "I look forward to working with you when you become Jounin."

He offered her a wave and disappeared into the night.

Shizune was just finishing up her report to give to the Hokage. She had ran a very thorough diagnostic on Temari and found some significant damage to her right flank and ribs. Several bones were bruised and had the making of being close to fractured by some tremendous blunt force. The Suna kunoichi was a little dehydrated, sunburned, and had very little nutrition in her as if she had not eaten in a few days.

As she scribbled everything down in professional detachment, Shizune checked her pulse again as well as her temperature. After giving her a counter drug to metabolize the sedative she had, it would be several hours till Temari woke up. Hopefully, this will give Shizune enough time to give her report to Hokage and then get some sleep in a near by room.

Taking one last look at the woman resting in a bed with all sorts of chakra restriction tags and widows rope tied around her fingers, every conceivable preventive measure was taken to ensure Temari had no access to her chakra or could physically escape. She even untied her hair out of her four pony tails to ensure she wasn't hiding any weapons.

Once cleaned and combed, Shizune gave Temari a look as a person instead of a job that needed completed.

While not tall, about five and a half feet, the eldest child of Sabaku was curvy and light skinned for someone used to being out in the desert. Her locks of blond hair were weren't fine and platinum like Ino's had been, but darker gold that reflected a different type of metallic luster. Her eyes were a pretty teal, however they seemed more for focus and domination that was found most often in strong Clan heirs of shinobi clans.

It was obvious this woman held a lot of pride.

Sighing sadly, Shizune had to admit that as a specimen, Sabaku no Temari was a very athletic and properly toned shinobi. Even the children of royalty in Suna took their training seriously.

Checking her binds one more time, Shizune called out, "Don't let anyone come in here except myself or the Hokage."

Four ANBU appeared next to her. "Hai," They said in unison.

Nodding, she was about to walk to the door when one called out, "Nara Shikamaru is waiting for you outside."

Frowning, she didn't like that one bit. "Has he tried anything?"

Knowing how much that boy wanted Temari's death made her suspicion rise. If he killed Gaara there was no doubt in her mind that he was capable of killing Temari in this state.

"No, he has simply sat down across the hall. We let him know that should he even come near it we would sedate him and report it to the Hokage."

That was acceptable enough for her.

"Alright, I'll see if I can put him at ease enough to get him away from here."

* * *

Anko stood in the middle of a playground, alone, staring at a swing set that swayed with the light breezing pulling at the seat. The ground was filled with little foot prints of children that had been playing earlier in the day and that made the silence that much more profound for her.

Was it only a a few years ago her and Naruto were playing here? Sadly, they weren't even talking and all she had been doing was brooding over what had made one of the most wonderful relationships she ever had?

Was someone just a few years into his teens now the most important man in her life? God, that was sad.

Sitting down in the seat her and Naruto had once pushed each other so many times when she had henge'd herself as Chichi, she kicked herself back and swung forward, letting the pendulum sway of gravity pull her towards earth and then backwards.

She thought about how odd it would be if anyone saw her playing on a swing. Honestly, she didn't care.

Anko missed him.

"Damn it, Gaki, just quit it already." The rocks scattered in front of her when she dug her heels in the earth to stop. Digging her toe into a small hole, she lowered her head moodily.

Only to raise it again as soon as she heard two very familiar voices coming her way in a sprint...

* * *

"We need to hurry, Naruto," Jiraiya called out to his student, "From the message we got all hell's about to break loose and we're going to be needed at the front lines."

"Good, I've been itching for a real fight," Naruto grinned only to see Jiraiya turn to look at him in disappointment.

"You should never wish for war, Naruto. I know I taught you better then that."

"Just because I want a good fight doesn't mean I want people to die," Naruto huffed at the Sannin.

"War is not a big sparring match, Naruto. You have yet to see the real ugliness man can accomplish. I pray that those of us shinobi who do know war can keep that part of our knowledge in text books where they belong and should stay. In peace, children bury their fathers. In war, father's bury their children. I don't know what can be so horrible that even a hard peace is better then a good war." Jiraiya offered to his apprentice sagely.

"Peace is founded in the presence of force," Naruto offered back. "Sometimes people need to feel the pain of their decisions to know to never do them again."

"Man is a stubborn creature with a short memory," Jiraiya shot back. "As soon as one war is done with another is usually not to far away."

"But..." As soon as Naruto skipped a house that over looked the park, he saw her and then realized he had never actually seen her before.

Their eyes met and, as angry as he still was with her, there, in her eyes, as she sat so alone and dejected in the swing she had played with him that very first time, was a woman he knew as much as he wanted to forget.

"Anko-sensei..." Naruto voiced and Jiraiya had only to jump over one roof to realize he was by himself.

"C'mon kid, you can catch up later."

Anko and Naruto's eyes locked upon the other. Words unspoken were clearly heard in their own ways.

'How have you been?'

'Did the mission go well?'

'Are you hungry?'

'Did you think of me?'

'I'm still angry with you.'

'I really missed you.'

There were others that could not be deciphered, but there didn't need to be. The last thing that they thought without a voiced breath was...

'I need to get to the Hokage's office.' Was Naruto's words when he slowly turned to walk to his mentor.

'I'll be right here waiting for you.' Was Anko's when she sat down on the swing and pulled her trench coat around her.

And he left to go hear about his next mission to protect the village and people who needed him.

She sat down and waited for the man who she had taken so lightly, but now filled every part of her heart with.


	6. Ch 6 Meal and Reunion

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 6 Meal and Reunion

"You don't belong here, Shikamaru-kun. Leave, before you get yourself in trouble with the Hokage."

Shikamaru took his time getting back on his feet. Dusting his pants and giving the two stoic ANBU facing him a wary eye. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head at the brunette assistant to the buxom Fifth Hokage.

"Are you hungry?"

Shizune glanced off to the ANBU beside her and than back to the young Chuunin prodigy. She was not naive enough to know the young man had come here simply to ensure her health or well being.

They weren't that close.

"What do you really want?"

Glancing down at the shadows of all of their feet, he rolled his shoulders, "I remember what you said in the office when we gave our toast. I think I know a way to make what you want come true."

She thought back to the simple toast in Tsunade's office and her own words...

_I don't want anyone else to die._

Looking into his lazy but determined brown eyes, she could see his thoughts weren't looking so much into the here and now, but days, weeks, possibly months ahead of her own.

While some Clans spouted genius of their ability to over power with doujutsus or kekkei genkei's, the Nara's had this indisputable ability to think above and beyond that of most shinobi.

Possibly even other Kage's...

"How would that help you?"

"It will," He replied simply, "but I wanted to talk to you about some particulars that I'm not knowledgeable with. Mind going over it with me over some food? I haven't been able to eat or sleep after Ino's or Chouji's death. It's just..." he looked away, back in time to memories that were simpler and more carefree. "I just seem alone all the time."

He didn't need to say anymore.

If there was one thing Shizune felt all the time was alone. It was one of the many fears she had often had when Tsunade went on her gambling or drinking binges was that simple reality that her sensei and her uncle's most precious person was going to do something to get herself killed and leave Shizune alone to bear the weight of their deaths on her own shoulders with no one else to be with.

"Alright, Shikamaru-kun. I know a place..."

* * *

"Enjoy your food," A young server placed their two steaming bowls of rice and beef stew in front of them, each followed by a medium sized cup of heated tea.

"Thank you," Shikamaru and Shizune thanked her at the same time.

After giving thanks, the two shinobi took polite bites of their food, waiting for the other to start a conversation they were obviously feeling a certain amount of trepidation.

"It must have been hard for you," Shikamaru began, stirring a few pieces of beef with his rice, making the thick broth blend with the small pieces of vegetables.

"Hm?" Shizune looked over the small bite of rice she was about to chew.

Dark eyes took in her peculiar expression and chuckled a little, making the viewee all too aware of her comical look.

After scowling at him, she dabbed at her mouth and asked, "What must have been hard?"

"The last couple of years." He gestured out the window, "Moving from one place to the next, ducking debtors, watching a friend drink themselves into oblivion, blowing away a legacy's fortune one night after another..."

"You will not speak of Tsunade-sama like that!" Shizune was already on her feet, but Shikamaru had not let his gaze falter from her's.

"Who said I was talking about her?"

Shizune's ire was simmering, making her want to just walk off from a young kid who would speak so inconsiderately of her mentor for the last fifteen plus years and dear friend.

However...

"Am I wrong?"

Gritting her teeth, she decided to take a seat, but not without giving the young Nara heir one hell of a heated glower.

"Think what you will of the situation you're in, take it out on whatever bottle of sake, punching bag, or request a suicide mission to end your suffering, but don't begin to act like you know what it was like for Tsunade-sama!"

Watching the deep pitted emotion swell up from Shizune was something he had hoped for, but not exactly in the context he had received it.

"Again, I am not talking about her. I'm talking about you."

"What about me?" The Hokage's assistant blinked, unsure what angle the young Chuunin was trying to get at.

"You were there through all of it, weren't you?"

Smoothing her napkin by her chopsticks, she nodded a little.

"What was it like?"

The thirty something brunette said nothing.

"Hard, I have no doubt."

"Don't try and dissect me so carelessly, Shikamaru. I am not a Shogi game."

The Hokage's assistant was privy to some of the quirks of the shinobi in the village. That Shikamaru was a master at Shogi was not a village secret but a well known fact.

Raising his hands in defeat, he gestured for her to eat her food and she did, cautious of anything he was going to say next.

"Would it be inconsiderate of me to say that you remind me of Chouji?"

Stopping in mid chew, Shizune looked ready to spit the food out and leave the table immediately. She had never met Chouji, but knowing the Akimichi's were well known for being big hearted but eaqually thick in stature that glorified themselves on being carnivorous over eaters was _not_ something a woman would take as a compliment.

Realizing what he said, Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered, "Troublesome, no, not like that!"

It was obvious he wasn't winning any points with her, so he clarified, "Chouji was my best friend in the whole world. He would have," Shikamaru's eyes looked up at the ceiling of the establishment as if he could see past them and into the heavens where he was sure his partner in laziness resided, "done anything for me. He was not only a friend, he was...beyond family. He was my brother and he would have jumped in front of an avalanche for me. I knew he would and he had no problem feeling that way. He trusted me and Ino. He knew, when we were starting our missions, his purpose was to put himself in harms way for us. You know what?"

Shizune was caught up in the story of Shikamaru's best friend, "What?"

"I didn't deserve him."

Chewing her lip, Shizune stuck her chopsticks in what was left of her rice. "Don't say that."

"Do you know what I've done for him all this time? I watched clouds! I talked about how boring or upsetting things were. He stuck by me and Ino, putting up with kids picking on him and all I did was hide with him! He...he and I were supposed to go on adventures together, you know? We were supposed to take on the world with Ino, do things to keep the legend of the Shika-Ino-Cho alive! But...but..."

"But what?"

"I let him go out there, onto that Chuunin Exam floor to fight Gaara. Asuma sensei bribed him with bar-be-que and...and I didn't say anything to stop him. He trusted me and I knew there was something wrong and I didn't stop him! Don't you see?"

"Shikamaru, I wasn't there for that, but I have no doubt you couldn't anticipate this from happening."

"I did see it happening! Just like I felt like someone was after Ino and I! I tried to protect us and we could have managed if...if only I was stronger and...and...I was smarter! Everyone talks about how much of a genius my family is, but what good is it if you don't succeed!"

"Shikamaru-kun," Shizune reached out and put a hand on his, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. "None of that matters now. They're gone and now it's just a matter of taking care of what we can do with what we have."

The dejected sadness left his eyes with one of calm cunning, pinching his mouth a little, "What we have now..."

He tasted the thought as if he could see a plan in ripening before him and wanted a bite.

Shizune had been waiting for this.

"Sabaku no Temari." Shikamaru spoke the name like iced poison, feeling the syllables flow through him.

It scared her.

Taking a cleansing breath, Shikamaru continued to eat, mechanically pushing food into his mouth and chewing. Swallowing it tastelessly seemed to follow without any sense of pleasure.

Shizune followed along with a few bites till she was full.

They left their tip and started on their way to their homes.

* * *

"Would you walk with me to pay my respects?"

Shizune had not expected to be asked that, but decided it was a safe request.

"Alright,"

The Shinobi graveyard was a placed marked by polished marbled walls, torches lit in perfect symbolism of the 'Spirit Of Fire'. In the very front were the monoliths of the Hokages with the oldest shinobi buried with spaces occupied by spouses. Some of them were still empty, meaning the wives or husbands had yet to die to join their heroic partner in death.

Close enough he could flick a stone to one headstone to the next, Chouji and Ino's graves were where he could see them both by standing in between them. The earth was still lumped from where the ground was dug up and their bodies buried.

It was already well past midnight. The night air was a welcome balm with its whimsical breeze, making the solemn graveyard even more so.

Shizune had expected Shikamaru to go to each one, offer a small prayer, and then wish her good night. When he sat right in between the two immaculate stones, he lowered himself with his hands behind his head to look up at the moonlit cloudy sky.

"This is how you pay your respects?" The Hokage's assistant voiced loudly.

His scowl reminded her that her voice carried, so she covered her own mouth accordingly.

"Yes," he shifted himself a little, "This is what we would do together when we were a team. Next to eating bar be que, being Ino-chan's bag carriers when she dragged us along to go shopping with her, we would hang out on the knolls by my house to watch the sky, the stars, the sun rises or sun sets. It was what we did together because we grew up doing these things."

Looking around as if unsure what to do, Shikamaru patted a spot next to him. "Join us."

Us...

The way he said it made it seem as if he judged his friends were still alive.

That worried her.

Finding a spot close enough to hear him but not so close in case he wanted to do something weird, Shizune smoothed out a patch of grass and found herself laying supine, staring up at the flowing moonlit clouds and feeling the vastness of the world above her.

She felt very small right now.

"It's kind of a waste, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"What we did all those years? Just this, watching the clouds together, talking about our futures and not really doing anything more then just talk. We really did burn those years together doing nothing."

She turned her head around to look at him, feeling his turmoil in his voice and seeing it in his eyes.

"I could have been a better friend to him." He spoke out loud, his words thick with emotion. "I could have loved her stronger, harder, deeper, and...and...and I could have asked her to marry me. Told her to marry me."

Shizune said nothing.

"If she wasn't so stuck on Sasuke for so fucking long, who knows what would have happened, huh?"

Silence.

Shizune listened, but only half heartedly. She was afraid he was going to ask her-

"Did you ever fall in love?"

The dark shadowy squint in her eyes spoke volumes.

"No. I never really had a chance to."

Shikamaru kept his mouth closed, even though it was on the tip of his tongue what he wanted to ask. Instead, he asked something else...

"Do you think it's true?"

"What is?"

"That it is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all?"

Now Shizune was in a quarrel with her own words. Thinking back on her life, loveless minus the times she had been with her family, her uncle Dan and the times she had a chance to potentially date or meet men in her life. That all got thrown away when he died and she took up the responsibility to take care of Tsunade.

Taking care of her was putting it mildly.

The Senju princess was a handful when she was thinking straight and sober, hard as nails spirit and fiery stubborn. What no one else saw, though, was who and what Tsunade was on the inside.

She was a woman, simple and to the point.

No one would really believe it, but she knew how to love. She did so deeply, selflessly, helplessly, endlessly...

...and that was why it was so important to Shizune that she had to protect the lover to her late uncle Dan so vigilantly.

Inside the heart of the current Hokage was a wreck.

Years, countless years were spent on sake binges where the blonde medic was blubbering in tears, throwing herself into one fight after another, almost getting herself into trouble with men who would have taken advantage of her alcoholic stupor had it not been for Shizune.

It was the worst case of self destruction she had ever witnessed.

"No," Shizune shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "I don't think I ever want to fall in love. I don't think I could let myself be that vulnerable in a society where I could do that to someone else if I should pass or find myself so in love with another and lose them. I'm too much of a coward to fall in love."

Nodding, Shikamaru sighed noisily. "Yeah, being in love is troublesome."

Looking at his facial profile, Shizune could see the tumult of emotion in his eyes.

"Tsunade lost her little brother and her fiancee', right?"

Shizune knew he was going to try and lure her here for a reason. While she was not used to the political games or the tactical ones Tsunade played, she was astute enough to know when someone wanted something from her.

This had to be it.

"Yes," She answered with a tight lip. This was bordering onto details that were not exactly secret or anything, but were still very personal to her and her sensei.

"Do you think it would cure her heart, maybe a little, if she could get them back?"

After blinking at Shikamaru a few times, she screwed her mouth weirdly at him. "What?"

Looking back at her, he repeated himself. "If she could have a part of them back, her brother and Dan, do you think it would give her purpose and, maybe, tame what she's feeling inside?"

She huffed at him, "I think it's late and you need your sleep."

"Can you answer the question?"

Shizune was about to get up when she lied herself back down, grumbling at the odd request. "Fine. Theoretically, if Dan and Nawaki could be brought back to life, without using some kind of zombie jutsu, flesh and blood real people who were not some kind of henge, clone, but actual living beings..."

She looked up into the heaves, throwing her arms out in exasperation.

"...probably. Yes, maybe."

Nodding, that was the answer Shikamaru was waiting for.

"If we could give the Yamanakas and the Akimichi's back their children, in some shape or form, do you think it would calm some of the fire in all of the Clan's hearts? If it involved a punishment that would not only keep Suna from attacking us but also us from attacking Suna, do you think Tsunade-sama would consider it?"

Now she had rolled over on her side to look at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Slowly, licking his lips as if he wasn't sure he was sure about the effect his words would cause next, he carefully looked as steely and sure about his next question as if the whole village's possible charge for war weighed on them.

"I want Temari to give us back what her family took from us."

By using the Suna's princess's name, Shizune's eyes got wide as saucers in disbelief.

"You can't mean-"

"Yes," Shikamaru said with fierce passion, "I want Sabaku no Temari to give birth to an Akimichi and Yamanaka to replace the lives taken from my friends, my village, and me."

* * *

The meeting with the Hokage had started off as little more then a catch up on what Naruto had been doing and the level of his abilities. After the pleasantries, congratulations on his achievements, and a review of his evolutional growth, the dreaded news of Ino's death and the Founding Clans calling for war left a very bitter taste in Naruto's mouth.

The finer details were now in the hands of the pervy sage and the slug princess.

He needed a drink, however something else tugged at his mind as it had for the past two years.

Coming around the bend, he was pretty sure she was still waiting for him there. What surprised him wasn't the fact that Anko had waited for him on the swing set for the past fourty minutes...

Two light brown eyes with off colored purple hair turned to the sound of his approach.

...but how she had waited for him.

"Anko...sensei?"

Before him, sitting on a seat with a small Konoha tee shirt, tan shorts, and simple shinobi sandals was his first love and demented sensei...

...as a teenager maybe a year or two younger than him.

Naruto took a wiff of the air, filtering it through his heightened senses to ensure it was her. While not as potent as an Inuzuka or even Kakashi, it was enough to at least get a general idea if it was the woman that had turned his life inside out and a living hell for.

The smile she gave him was small, hardly the one where he expected her to lunge out at him, threatening him with snakes, castration, or even turning him into a bloody pulp.

She was just so...quiet.

Nothing like the woman he knew at all.

Anko watched him, though. If anything grabbed her focus now, it was him. Appraising him, ticking off things here and there mentally, she sniffed a little to hide the tear about to fall.

"Yeah, Gaki, it's me."

Deciding not to call her out on that aggrevating nickname, he walked up to her, "Sensei, what are you doing?"

Digging her toe into the ground as she sat on the swing, she gave him a turn of the lips he was more familiar with. "Waiting for you. What does it look like?"

Frowning, he waited for her to say more.

Rolling her eyes, she kicked at the dirt a little. "I can see Jiraiya has really taken his time to make you look underneath the underneath."

When he didn't answer, she settled herself on the swing and gripped the chain. "Give a girl a push?"

"Sensei, really, what's going-"

"I used to sit on this alone, you know." She started, kicking her feet slowly, looking at the blonde shinobi who appeared to be her senior. "I had friends and they were always going on and on about how great their sensei was. I was so lucky back then. He was beyond brilliant. A genius. The one who would eventually become Hokage. Do you have any idea how in love with him I was, Naruto?"

Feeling some of the feelings for the woman in front of him, henge'd into a teenage version of her younger self, he thought back to the first time he met her as Chichi. It was like seeing color for the first time when she spent time with him and become his world.

"Yeah, sensei. I really do."

Stepping behind her, he pulled the chains she held onto and released. Letting gravity draw her forward, he gave her a few pushes, letting the young teen Anko eventually go with the pendulum sway of forward and backward, forward and backward.

It really was silly, but Naruto couldn't deny he hadn't felt this close to her in a long time.

He could tell she wanted him to stop and he did. Slowly, she let herself come to a halt after dragging the soles of her sandals across the dirt.

She even chuckled a little.

"On the day he picked me, he said, 'Go, little Anko-chan. Play to your hearts content. Have your fill on anything and everything you want to do. Treat it as if it's your last. When you feel that there is nothing left to be done, come see me.' Do you know why?"

Naruto was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"He said, 'When you come to me, be ready to live your life to the edge and beyond. I will train you in ways that will make you stronger, faster, smarter, and deadlier than any other shinobi out there. You will hate me, loathe me, and I will even disgust you, but, know this, you will become powerful and know no equal except me. Do you understand?' I did."

Licking his lips, Naruto gave his own nod. "It sounds a lot like Jiraiya and his many words of wisdom as we travelled."

"Oh?" Teenage Anko grinned at him with a little more mischief.

"He told me the vices of a shinobi that will get them in the most trouble are women, money, and booze. That old perv seemed to be neck deep in all of them."

Sharing a little laugh, Anko got up and walked as close to Naruto as he would allow her to. "What do you tell him when he gets himself caught?"

Keeping his distance, he answered, "I yell at him, kick him a few times, drag him back to where he needs to be. At some point, he gives a half assed apology and complains that I need to ease up on him."

"Do you?" Anko asked, daring to take one more step towards him, looking small and vulnerable in the presence of the boy she now sees turning into a fine man.

"No. He's old enough now to know better. The last thing I need is a man to lecture me about life when he can't even control his own." Naruto faltered in taking a step back, but a part of him, seeing the Anko so young and so quiet like she was, kept him in place.

"Do you know the Sannin all started doing things like that?"

Naruto shook his head.

"After the fight with Hanzo, the three of them became legendary. Tsunade wanted to use her name to build up a medical corps, Orochimaru a research facility and Jiraiya, well," She chuckled, reaching out to straighten Naruto's jacket, "he wanted to do his own 'research'. He got into a lot of trouble afterwards, but it was just his way of dealing with losing Tsunade to Dan. He didn't take it well."

"I'm sure he didn't."

Feeling her get closer to him, talking to him like she never had before, Naruto eventually asked, "Anko-sensei, what are you doing like this?"

"This?" The question seemed to confuse her.

"You looking like this?" He gestured to her tee shirt and shorts.

"Oh, this is me," She grinned at him again, tugging at the top of her shorts and shirt. "What do you think? Pretty dull, huh?"

Confused, he could only express how lost he really was. "I don't understand."

Snickering at her own joke, she said, "This was me...back then, Naruto."

"Back when?"

"Right before I was chosen to be Orochimaru's student," Closing her eyes, she voiced a part of her no one would ever, ever hear about her, "Back when I believed in falling in love, that sex was shared between two people who lived and died for the other, when having kids and raising a family was something every shinobi does because we all died at the ripe age of eighty five and not fifteen through twenty. This, Naruto," She took that one step closer to him and hugged him, voicing into his chest words heavy with the deepest heart ache no one would ever bear witness to, "is when I wished, with all my heart, that I could have met you. This is the me you deserved back when you were being bullied and I wanted to show you a kindness that brought us together."

Now he understood.

"Anko-sensei, we can't live with wishes. If that was so, I would wish for a family from the day I realized I was alone and no one wanted me. I would have wished for friends and that you would have also been the girl I met to share all my adventures with."

Despite his own words, he couldn't help but feel the tremble in her, the heavy breathing of her lithe body seeking him for warmth and comfort.

"I know we can't go back into the past, Naruto, but our future," Dark brown eyes sought out his blue ones. "We can control that."

"Only so much," He knew what she was doing and he didn't like it. "If you can stop a war, than I'm all for it."

"Damn the war, Naruto," Anko growled, then, without warning, she reached behind his head, pulled him down towards her and kissed him.

While a part of him, pushed her away, he let her lips linger on his, feeling what he had wanted so many times for who knew how many endless nights. When they parted, he looked into her eyes and saw that something he had always wanted to see.

She loved him.

"I really, really missed you."

This was a turning point and he knew it. He didn't want to tell her about all the women he had been with on his missions or how he searched his tastebuds to see if she tasted like dango or some other guy, but at this moment...

"I don't think I can be with you, sensei," Thick hands worked strong by his training kept Anko away from him. "If you can't stop seeing other guys-"

"I'm not!" She blurted out suddenly, gripping his wrists with eyes wide and sincere. "I haven't touched another man since you left without talking to me! I have been waiting for you, I swear."

His mouth moved, words weighed heavily at the tip of his tongue to call her a liar, however...

"I wouldn't lie about this! I have always been honest with you about what I do or don't do, even if it pisses you off."

Naruto was shaking his head, putting distance away from her.

Anko wouldn't have it.

She pounced him.

"Oof!"

He forgot how quick she was.

"Look in my eyes, Naruto."

He did, only to hear a very familiar 'shink'.

Her favorite kunai revealed, Naruto was already about to summon the Kyuubi's protective chakra when she did something weird. Pushing the ringed handle into his hand, she gripped his fingers around it and pushed it to her own throat, showing the level of seriousness she was taking this moment.

"Sensei-what the hell are you doing?" He gasped.

It didn't matter to her, all that she valued was right here in front of her.

"This is how serious I am, Naruto. I'm not playing games or telling small fibs for a pity fuck. I...Want...You. Only you. Now, are you going to believe me or am I going to have to slit my own throat to show you how far I'm willing to prove it."

It was there in her eyes, that level of insanity brought about by Orochimaru's tutalage and the burning fortitude of her will against his.

"Do...you...believe...me?" Anko stressed each word, pressing her own kunai to her throat, even going so far as to make a small trickle of blood fall down the length of her blade and over their fingers.

It wasn't the anger or fury that made him see her sincerity...

...it was hope. A near desperate, wanting hope that he would.

The kunai fell away from her, as he yanked her into a devouring kiss.

Yes, he did.


	7. Ch 7 Out Of Sight

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 7 Out Of Sight

"You're insane."

"No, I'm not," Shikamaru had his hands tucked under his chin in the prescribed rat hand sign when he saw Shizune ready to jump to her feet to, undoubtedly, tell Tsunade of his goals.

"Damn it!" Shizune screamed as she looked at her body as if it betrayed her.

Shikamaru wasn't one for aggressive pursuits, anything that required too much physical activity, really, and he was already well aware of how nimble and painfully elusive Shizune could be. It was well know how her and the Fifth Hokage evaded bill collectors and several bounty hunters who eagerly desired to have one of the legendary Sannin's captured as a notch on their belt or the Shodai's necklace for collateral.

The lazy Nara would have never caught her had she got on her feet, thus one of his many reasons to get her on her back when she came with him was to give him some time to keep her where she was with a Shadow Imitation Jutsu should she try to flee.

"Let me go, now!"

Throwing himself back so she could stay as immobile as he was, Shikamaru was already grumbling. "Do you think I would have had to go through all this if I didn't think you weren't going to be troublesome?"

"Of course I'm against it!" She screamed at him, trying her damnedest to break free. "What woman in her right mind, shinobi or not, would agree to punish their enemy with rape! This is sick!"

"Jeez! I'm not talking about rape, woman!"

Despite her rage, when he called her 'woman', it had registered in her subconscious level of how demeaning it was, yet gained her attention enough for her to hear him say he was not talking about what her fear had assumed. Giving him a smoldering glare that could cut through steel, she answered with a voice to match her narrowed brown eyes.

"Let me get this straight, right here, right now, Nara Shikamaru. At anytime,at any part of this conversation involves taking advantage of her in a sexual manner against her will, will I not only be adamantly against it, I will make sure the Hokage and myself take every chance to make your life a living hell if you try to implement it behind our backs. Do you _understand_ me?"

Shikamaru's light hearted surrender pose with his hands up and grumbled sigh was mimicked by her. "Look, I know I don't have to convince you what I'm about to try, but I want to ask you something on a medicinal level. Whether you agree to it or not is not your decision. I'll leave that to the Hokage and the Clan heads. What I need for you is your expertise of the human body and it's capabilities, that's all."

Shizune flinched her hands several times, obviously uncomfortable where this may lead but she couldn't keep the loathing from her eyes. "Not until you release me."

"No, you answer my questions first and then I'll release you." Shikamaru countered firmly.

Even if she couldn't shake her head, the young shinobi saw a mildly triumphant look about her face he knew was well deserved.

"Shika-kun, do you really believe you can hold this jutsu up for as long as I can keep my silence? You have to know that I am aware of everything about you on a medical level including what the limits of your abilities are. I can lay here for as long as I need to until you exhaust yourself. I also know for a fact that even though you've been training harder, you're still only able to keep me bound for no more then five to seven minutes max."

"Actually, Shizune nee-chan, it's more like eight, but that's beside the point," He chuckled, but not without receiving another growl from her.

"Don't you DARE call me nee-chan!" She barked at him, making him flinch at the sheer power behind that. "If you viewed me as family you could just talk to me bout this instead of holding me against my will!"

"Troublesome, I swear I have the best interests of everyone and you're not letting me get a word in sideways!"

"Look at what you're doing! Why should I?"

"Because it WILL work!"

Now she was quiet, still glowering at him with all the rage she could muster.

"Just listen to me, okay?"

"Let me go."

"No, you need to just give me a chance to explain-"

"I'm going to scream," She hissed and looked about as ready to do it too.

There was no doubt ANBU patrolling the area. The shinobi graveyard was a treasure trove of potential secrets to be unveiled despite some of the precautions most hidden villages took to prevent that from happening. Still, there were those, like Orochimaru, who seemed to have a knack to do the impossible.

If she screamed now there would be hell to pay from not only them but from the Hokage as well.

He had to start talking and making her cover her own mouth while covering his wasn't going to help matters.

"Do you miss him?"

Shizune blinked. "Him? Him who?"

"Dan, your uncle."

The thought didn't surprise her, just distract her. "You're not going to win me over with this, Shikamaru. Yes, it worked to get me here, but it's not going to help-"

"If you could see him again, hold him, as a little boy, hell, even as a baby, how would you feel?"

Vulnerable emotions peaked inside of her. As a woman and a kunoichi, it was well understood that her chance to have a child was never going to be in her future, like her mentor. She was twenty eight and a little over a year till she was thirty. Besides, it was never good to look back. It never solved a thing. Could she become a mother? Yes, but at what cost? Tsunade needed her.

Still, there were those memories of him holding her and being such a wonderful uncle when she was growing up. The idea of meeting him again made her smile.

The reality of what he was asking made her shake her head.

"Everyone wants that, Shikamaru, but it's not the answer to stop a war."

"Is it?" He rebutted, "What if it was?"

Closing her eyes, she pinched her lips and said, "This is the stupidest thing I think I've ever done. Fine, I'm listening."

Licking his lips, he knew he had to talk fast and break it down so that, at a minimum, if what he was thinking was even remotely possible. "Is there a way for a woman to have multiple births with different DNA inside the womb?"

Blowing a lock of hair from her face since she couldn't do it with her hands, she considered it. "Possible? Yes. Semen from two different donors, have the woman medicinally produce multiple eggs through her ovaries and collect them to be inseminated through syringe on a microscopic level, the possibility, theoretically, is possible, but there could be complications involving blood type differences, insertion of the fertilized eggs holding to the uteral lining, chakra infusion control to keep them seperated for about three days to ensure survivability, delicate and minute checks to ensure the mother isn't in any kind of life threatening situations where she connects both beings through out their fertilization process..."

"So, it's possible." He concluded with a look of hope in his eyes.

"Yes, but the real question is if the medics and the host are willing." She shot back. "Do you really think any medic nin is going to agree to this process? How are you going to get Temari to just LET this happen to her?"

Shikamaru chewed his lip, answering what he hoped would be the turning point of this conversation. "The 'How' is not the issue now, but more along if she agreed to it?"

"Excuse me?" Shizune balked at such a ridiculous belief.

"Look, as I said I don't want a war to break out, right?"

Shizune nodded.

"Then how would I be able to do that if the princess of the invading village is raped and treated like breeding stock? We'd be no better than Kumo. What if I can get her to agree to give back what she and her family took from us and, by doing so, we give her back to Suna?"

"Give her back? Ino and Chouji, your friends, are dead-"

"I know!" He shouted this time, a tick in his eye working a muscle that went all the way down his jaw.

Shizune waited for him to calm down, seeing his obvious effort to push back what he was feeling inside of himself.

"I know," he said softly, reaching to touch an earring his sensei gave him and his team. Shikamaru continued with a bit more control and less emotion.

"She would have given them back to us, as infants." Running his hand through his hair, forcing Shizune to do the same, he grumbled in near desperate exasperation, "It's a lot harder to desire death when you're holding the reflection of the child you lost in your arms."

Shizune paused as she considered it.

"There is no way the Hokage would send her back to Suna without serving some kind of punishment that exceeds what you're asking for-" she began, but Shikamaru interrupted her again.

"We'd also have to see about making Temari a political prisoner here and that would required her to give us information about Suna, including some of her family background, Suna's defenses, elite shinobi, etc...but that's more for show. We could even go as far as to extend her to stay in a minimum security environment. If anything, she might even have temporary residence."

"Why would we give her that?" Shizune squawked in confusion, "She won't be a prisoner as a ninja, but free to roam about like a civilian? First you want her to receive a punishment and then you want her to have liberties? That's ludicrus! I thought you wanted revenge and you take as well as give to her? She would leave at the first chance she would have or start killing off other civilians or shinobis-"

"No, she wouldn't." He made a point of raising his finger to emphasize his point, "She's already prepared to die to save her people from war. As long as she is a good girl and behaves herself, agrees to give us two children she would lose no more than a year or so of her life. Afterwards, as a show of eventual good faith, we could even have Suna come in to inspect her as a willing hostage to show them and the other nations we are firm about punish people for the sake of protecting our Clans and our shinobi."

Shaking her head, she was clearly against it. "They won't like this. They won't agree to it. It's got some merit, but it's just not enough. By taking away two Head Clan heirs, you're not only taking away the flesh of who they are and trying to compensate with other flesh like cattle, but we're talking about two souls who were created by love of friends and family, mother's not giving a part of themselves to their babies, husband's making love to their wives to create life, Clan pride and parents seeking justice. This scientific break down of numbers will not work!"

"I know it's not ideal, but, it's something, right?"

Shizune really wished she could rub her head right now. "Think about the Kazekage, Shikamaru. Do you think he's going to let his daughter get violated like this and stand idly by? He's lost face by having his own heirs lost and now his last one is expected to give up whatever part of their own blood to their enemy for the sake of peace? While, on surface it seems like a great idea, he has an image as their leader and as Suna's supreme protector to consider. If he loses in this what happens? He will want war just for the sake of proving he won't stand for it. Don't even get me started about what's going to happen if word gets out. What's to stop other countries from doing the same thing? Demanding the same thing?"

Rubbing his own head, making Shizune do what she had wanted to do before, he answered, "I'm not sure, but this is why I need help with this and that's why I'm coming to you. Please, I need your help to have me discuss this properly with the Hokage."

Sighing in frustration, Shizune could see he had really been wracking his brain about this.

"Who else have you talked to about this?"

Shikamaru took that as a positive sign that she was, at least, considering it. "Inoichi. He was against it as well, but I think with some help from his wife and then having the Akimichi's on board, this very well could be something that would, at a minimum, blunt the Clans from putting Konoha and Suna at war."

Shizune couldn't believe she was even considering this angle. Tsunade had been her mentor and beloved sensei for half of her life. If there was one thing she knew she treasured was the life of her friends and family, that was the whole reason she left Konoha. Losing Dan, losing Nawaki...everything that made her home precious to her was tainted like the most acidic poison. It was as if being within the gates of the Senju's greatest achievement, creating the most powerful village next to the Uchiha's, was a horrific nightmare everywhere she turned.

What she loved, she now hated.

Nothing could make pure what had been her most reigning family success. She was Senju, one of the greatest family names in Konoha history and it made everything she held true to her past seem fake.

In her eyes, her village killed her brother and her deepest love.

Shizune was all too aware of how bleak her sensei's life was afterwards.

Still...

...if she could have him back...

"It won't work, Shikamaru." Shizune's voice was firm.

"Why not?"

"Because if it could break the anger and rage from people's hearts who have felt the loss of their loved one like this, don't you think we would have done it already?"

Shikamaru agreed with a tired nod. "I have thought of that, but the question remains is this," He firmly answered in kind, "has anyone ever asked or tried?"

Keep the other's gaze, Shizune answered simply. "Trying to genetically bring back your friends? No, but listen to yourself! Morally and ethically, it's against the rules."

"Maybe, but what if everyone agreed voluntarily?"

She huffed in utter annoyance, finding every one of his arguments was based, pretty much, on 'what ifs' and 'everyone agreeing with him'. "That is one hell of a gamble, Shikamaru."

"Yeah, well, I'm a genius, not a gambler, but we don't actually have that much to lose. As things stand now war is inevitable. The Kazekage can't let us keep his daughter and the clans can't spare her, you said so yourself. So what do we have to lose at this point? If you have any other solution to avoid war I am open to it. Otherwise, even if you do find this distasteful isn't it still better than the alternative? It's not always a choice between good and bad. Sometimes its a choice between the lesser evil. DO keep in mind our poor little princess is responsible for Ino's death and I'm never going to forget the look of pleasure as Gaara crushed Chouji to death in front of everyone. I'd say she's earned a little suffering.'"

He released his Jutsu on her and she made a quick shuffle to get back on her feet. Shizune's whole body flexed, but not exactly sure which way to go or what to do.

A small trickle of sweat went down Shikamaru's cheek as he watched her carefully, fully expecting her to dash off or call ANBU on him. "I'm against it, Shikamaru,"

Rolling his eyes, he was already nodding. He figured she would be...

"But, it's not for me to decide."

Smirking, he helped himself up and dusted his hands on his pants. "Will you at least help me get the medical part done? Make the whole process spelled out so everyone can understand when I present it to not only the Hokage but the Yamanakas and Akimichis?"

"And Temari," She included pointedly.

"Yes," Shikamaru looked away, his voice edged as he said, "her."

Shizune knew Shikamaru enough to know that there was more to what he wanted than what he was telling her. Whatever it was, the revenge he was seeking would probably encapsulate a war into one person.

Sabaku No Temari.

* * *

Naruto and Anko don't know where they were through the pulling and pushing of one body against the other, but they just knew they couldn't be in the park to make love and it had to be someplace quiet and unused.

Like his his old apartment room...if they could get there.

They hadn't.

Where they stopped or where they fell from the skipping rooftops of one place to another, they didn't know let alone care. Anko finally tackled Naruto and tumbled into wall hidden in the shadows of the lamp lights of the street. From there, Anko nearly raked his teeth with her own in a powerful kiss that took his breath away.

"I need you, here, now...Please!" She hissed when their lips parted to breath, to speak, to beg...

Naruto's own mouth said nothing as he looked at the woman before him, no longer the teenage young lady he had seen on the swing at the park looking as lonely and dejected as he remembered feeling himself.

She was like him in almost every way.

Taking the top of her fishnet shirt in his two fists, he ripped it open from between the parted opening of her trench coat, making her grin approvingly when her breast bounced at their new found freedom.

"So what are you waiting for?" She tugged at the edge of her trench coat to give him a better view of her magnificent mounds. "I'm getting cold."

Hungry lips suckled over her fine breasts and lapped at her hardened nipples. One of Anko's hands went instinctively towards his hair to eagerly accept him while the other reached down low to unbutton his pants.

Quickly, everything was moving so quickly, so fast...

Clothes were a cursed hindrance, forcing them to use their talented balance and foot agility to get Naruto pants off.

...before he knew it, her panties were dangling from her ankle and her legs were wrapped around his bare chisled hips. His hands held her her very toned white cheeks roughly, forcing her pushed her skirt high up past her waist and leaned against her, making her back brace her weight with the wall behind her.

With one looked shared between them, Naruto waited just a pause, just a moment for her to give him some warning that she did want him to contin-

"Don't tease me," Her eager hissed was punctuated by her body wriggling against his engorged member touching under her moistening entrance. "I've waited for you, Naruto, I swear it! Please...please let me be your fir-"

She never got to finish her sentence.

With a ravenous growl, Naruto impaled her upon him with a pull of his arms and a thrust of his hips.

A throaty groan erupted from her throat, her hands tightened against the back of his shoulders as he took her, right there, right then. His own breath rattled as he tried to mentally keep up with what just happened physically.

"We did it," He breathed, lighting a smile across his lips as she did so in kind.

"Yes, we did," She grinned, kissing him with a violent passion that made him almost drop them both.

From there, it was almost a ballistic punishment of two bodies trying to out do the other. Naruto's epic stamina against her skill, his greatly enhanced physical brutality with her reflexive prowess. Two of them tearing into the other sexually, tasting and taking, filling and gasping...each one was proof of their unyielding release of raw animalistic hunger to take what both had inside for years upon years.

This is how it should have been for who knew how long.

Gasping sounds escaped her mouth as she found herself, after who knew how long, with her hands on the wall with her back to him, doing her best just to stay standing as he gripped her, both hands on her shoulders as he entered her...

No, not entered her, but impaled her.

...again, again, again, again.

She wanted to scream, had the right to scream but her lips were held tight just as her eyes were. Stars and lines crossed her vision and she had been long past trying to keep her legs from shaking.

The boy was a monster and she loved him for it.

Slap, slap, slap, slap...

The snake mistresses exposed ass crashed violently against the front of his pelvis as he entered her; deep, long, hard, unstopping, and constant. Their minds raced as she felt the trickling pins and needles reach her most delicate place inside of her, reaching that long missed climactic high she hadn't felt in who knew how long.

"Anko-sensei...I'm...I'm..." His gravelly voice called out to her, gripping her so hard she was sure he could crush her and not even realize it.

Reaching behind herself, she turned to look at him as best she could. Her eyes hazed with ecstasy, she grinned at him in a way that encouraged him to continue. Reaching her hand out to him, he took it as they stared into each other eyes, their bodies moving without any mental need, harder their bodies moved to pull the seed from him and him to give to her.

Their flesh arched into the other with a jarring spasm that knocked them both off their feet and onto the floor. Anko's bare breasts pressed against the cold smooth stone wall that had her bent almost in half at the waist while Naruto leaned against her, still connected intimately inside of her. Taking her into his chest, he panted as only a man who has reached his euphoria through making love could.

He whispered loud enough for her to hear.

"Thank you, sensei...thank you...thank you..."

Chuckling in a way that reminded him she didn't exactly have to call him an idiot to know he was doing something an idiot would do, she reached behind herself and patted his cheek. "You really are a dummy, you know that?"

Pulling his whiskered cheek away from her, she swiveled at the neck to kiss his lips. "I think it's safe to call me just 'Anko'."

"Anko...chan," His smile reached his eyes and he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Naruto...kun?"

The voice sounded so small, so delicately inquisitive that it made both of the lovers look up guiltily at the sihlouette gracefully approaching them. Hidden through the lamp lights, both of them had to squint as they tried to get themselves in a semi respectable manner before their visitor got any closer.

"Lets go!" Anko whispered, pulling Naruto to his feet and off to the rooftops away before they were caught.

"My pants," He began, but soon found himself dashing nude from the waist down as fast as his legs could carry him.

They were off a little ways when Anko just thought of something, racing from one end of Konoha to the other. "Your keys weren't in your pants, were they?"

"Ah, no." He chuckled, uncomfortably wet and dangling freely as he hopped over a powerline that made him just a little more wary as to how close they were from one jump to the next.

He was sure he felt static electricity tingle his man part.

"I hid my keys in my backpack. Why?"

"We're going to your place." She looked over her shoulder at him, grinning in a way that promised more of what they were doing only a minute ago.

"Anko-chan,"

"Yes, Naruto?" She sang out his name eagerly.

"The view from here is great," he chuckled deeply in his throat.

Anko noticed, from where he was behind her, the view had to be rather spectacular.

"Get me inside your room and I'll make you see Kami,"

Anko found herself being scooped, in mid air, and dashed to his room in a matter that was most undignified...

...and she loved it.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata relaxed her Byakugan after saw Naruto, half naked, and Anko trail off towards the west of the village. Looking about, she didn't have to use her doujutsu to see the wet stain of their coupling or the pants bunched and discarded to the side where they had been rutting like two tom cats in an alley.

She hadn't seen them in action, but the sight of him bent over her with their glowing faces staring into each other was enough to make the normally weak spirited Hyuuga pass out. This time, however, she didn't feel as scandalized as she should.

Why?

Looking left and then right, Hinata gingerly picked up the pants and folded them neatly in her arms, carefully keeping the proper creases a piece of clothing from the boy who she still had a lingering crush from those times back at the Academy.

Because, unlike her, he was able to find what he treasured the most.

"So he's happy," She forced a smile to her lips, giving the orange and black pants an affectionate pat. "I'm happy for him."

Footsteps approached her from behind, so she tucked her once crush's pants into her long sleeve and covered the bump with the material of her other arm.

"Hinata-sama," A cadet branch member called out to her. "Did you see anything?"

"Yes," She replied with a little embarrassment. "Two cats were making a lot of noise and I didn't know if it was someone stalking outside the Estate Wall. I am sorry for worrying about it."

The guard studied Hinata closely, easily unfooled by her body posture. To the normal eye, she was, in fact, embarassed and convincingly so, however what she said, how she looked up and away and fidgeted under her sleeves spoke that she knew more than what she let on.

"If you say so, Hinata-sama."

Still, he was just a branch member and she was still from the Main. Who was he to dictate what was she to say or think?

As she walked past him back into their home and eventually into her room, Hinata closed the door softly and sat herself on her bed before calling out softly, "Byakugan,"

Veins flared from the sides of her eyes to ensure where the cadet guards were roaming and she was, in fact, not being spied upon.

She wasn't.

Taking her treasure from her sleeve, she unfolded it and gave it a really long, hard look.

"Naruto-kun," She brought the waist band to her nose and inhaled deeply.

Blushing at the rush of emotional and unrequited knowledge of her desire for him, Hinata's shuddered as she fell onto her pillow with Naruto's pants held against her cheek.

"Is this the closest I'll ever come to being with you?"

So many thoughts went through her mind, especially the sharp pang of hearing them earlier and seeing him and Anko collapsed on each other with such utter love...

And she got to see.._.**IT**_.

Her legs squeezed together at the thought of him being so...so...big, thick, and...

"Naruto...kun,"

She inhaled his scent again and moaned, secretly wishing, hoping, wanting to be where Anko was just those few minutes ago. This piece of clothing was against him and his...his...

Blushing like mad, her thoughts whirl winded her into an unconscious stupor, her last words spoken before she let her mind drift off into oblivion.

"You came home," she bunched his pants across her breasts. "I'm glad."


	8. Ch 8 Two People In Love

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 8 Two People In Love

He dreamed.

Oh, did he dream.

While he knew the limits of his body while training with Jiraiya, he had no idea the levels of thunderous euphoria that could be reached while being with Anko.

When the snake mistress promised he would see Kami with her, she had not been wrong. As of now, Naruto could barely see straight, let alone feel anything but pins and needles running from his wrists to his shoulders. It may have something to do with his hands being tied to the bed posts.

Speaking of limbs, looking down at the chafing around his naked hips and thighs, he didn't have to wonder why his bed was only occupying himself.

In the next room over, he could hear the not so quiet clanging of his lover doing something in the kitchen, possibly getting a start on breakfast.

Scratching his head, he had to wonder how long she had been up.

"Anko-sensei?"

He didn't have to wonder long.

With the quick, thudding footsteps rushing towards him, Naruto was greeted by trench coat, but only a trench coat, wearing Anko pouncing him a good ten feet away.

When she straddled him, he was so very glad she wasn't wearing her leg greaves. There was no doubt in his mind that they would have hurt and chafed like a son of a bitch.

"Good morning, handsome! Lets fuck!"

Interestingly enough, he was sure whatever plans Jiraiya would have asked of him that morning were going to be cancelled.

Xxx

Anko didn't untie him till later on that afternoon…with her teeth.

Naruto and Anko said very little to each other after their initial steps into his room. It was kissing, biting, sucking, and…well…lots and lots and lots of…

"Fuck me sideways! You're going to stab me to death, stud!" Anko gasped as she lay on his bed with her legs indecently opened sideways.

The young blonde shinobi had rolled off her side to his back, gasping large gulps of breath to try keep himself from passing out.

Anko wasn't fairing much better.

Legs trembling, her skin flushed, and her left arm tweaked back to reach for his muscular hip, the sensei was at her limits of exhaustion.

Rapture, raw and simple, etched her face as she tried to make the most simple movements to prop herself to look at him.

One blonde, long tanned arm hooked around her waist to pull her to him. Complying with a content sigh, Anko found a sweat slicked pectoral to rest her head on.

"Anko-chan," He rubbed her shoulder, getting her to pull closer to him. "We probably should go check in with the Hokage or Jiraiya. Who knows what we have planned after what's going on?"

Two very disagreeing eyes peeked up through her dark wet locks at him. "If they want us, they'll find us. By the way, you have zilch in your fridge. We need to eat."

"Maybe get something along the way?"

"I don't care," She mumbled, "There's always going to be an emergency, a mission, a plan that needs to be examined, Naruto. I've been waiting for you for two years. They can wait for us for a change."

Naruto thought about it and had to agree how right she was.

Yes, they'd gone through their own trials and, yes, back then, he was still wet behind the ears when it came to romance, life as a shinobi, and the mantle of virgin hopes and dreams were still worn with a glorious pride that he could no longer attest to.

Romance, sex, love...all of it was fleeting and enjoyed when and wherever they could find it.

A trail of broken hearts with maidens staring out of open windows was a testament to his new beliefs. It had not started as he had wanted it to, but, back then, it was just a matter of breaching that line to not only get back at Anko but to become familiar with the ways of the heart that lead so many people to this awkward and very troubling aspect of their life.

Now, he had come full circle.

He had not forgotten the look in Kakashi's eyes when he opened the door and had been caught red handed within Anko's home.

Naruto had still been green in so many ways back then, but it hadn't taken much to realize what Kakashi had enjoyed was the very thing the blonde shinobi had treasured most in his heart.

Kakashi and Anko's acts made him feel as if his childish pursuit was just that...childish.

How did he forgive Anko?

Did he actually forgive her?

"What are you thinking, Naruto?" Anko yawned, hooking one wet thigh over his knee. "You have that stupid stare like you're trying to figure out something complicated like math or the wonders of life without ramen."

Naruto nudged her forehead with his chin, answering sarcastically, "You always say the sweetest things."

"What can I say? I'm a sweet talker."

Silence followed.

"Nah, seriously, what's bugging you?" Anko twisted herself to look at him. "It's as if we didn't just have the moment of our lives not ten minutes ago. I mean, c'mon, your first time couldn't have been that bad with me, right? I know I haven't had any practice for a couple of years, but I couldn't have been THAT bad!"

Scrunching up his face, Naruto looked down at her, "First time?"

"Yeah, you know..." Anko drew a small circle around his nipple, giving him an affectionate squeeze. "After this, I might as well give you what you've always wanted."

"You know a way to make me Hokage?" Naruto asked excitedly, propping himself up on one elbow to give her a huge grin.

"No. Okay, fine, the next most important thing."

"A lifetime supply of ramen at Ichiraku's? I'm not going to have to do anything weird with Ayame, right? She's a nice girl and-"

Flick!

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Naruto was already rubbing the angry red welt on his forehead.

"No, you baka!" Anko growled, but rubbed his head with him, giving him a small kiss. "C'mon, I figured you'd be begging me to marry you again. If you want to get on one knee and all, let me know so I can get up and act surprised. I know you probably don't have a ring, but we can worry about that later."

Naruto's head turned left and then right, scanning his room very, very carefully.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for the nearest kunai."

"Huh?"

"You can't throw a nightstand with too much accuracy, can you?"

Anko craned her neck in a way that made Naruto nervous.

Naruto was able to semi convincingly stretch himself away from Anko and roll himself out of bed, but it did nothing to keep her eyes from leaving him.

"What?"

Naruto found her eyes when her question sounded like something from the girl he met back at the swings than the woman who he had just made wild, crazy, shinobi voodoo sex with.

Rubbing his face, Naruto didn't think she could appear so disappointed.

"C'mon, sensei, you and I went through this a long time ago, right? What? Three years?"

"Two." She corrected.

"Yeah," he scratched his head, looking at her cautiously, seeing her still all too carefully motionless. "I was young back then. You know, a 'gaki' as you so eloquently put it over and over again. I had no right to make you promise that when its obvious you didn't want to."

"You wanted to marry me." She quietly whispered.

"Anko, it was a bet," Naruto sighed in frustration, "A silly, childish, desperate bet to try and keep you close to me at the time. It was the only way I could think of keeping Chichi, you, as my friend, the person I loved, forever at twelve years old."

"Thirteen." She corrected.

Naruto sat himself close to her, touching her face.

"I still have feelings for you and I do love you, but...c'mon, we're shinobi. Don't you think this could be one of the worst things that we could do to each other? It doesn't mean anything if we're barely going to see each other, if only once or twice in a long while. Heck, they've got me going all over to elemental nations for almost years at a time, so how is that fair to you? We can still love each other, but I can't bind you like that. It's just not fair."

"I don't mind!" She blurted, shuffling closer to him. "I've...I've been thinking of you a lot, and..." She reached up and snatched his ear, yanking on it hard.

"Owowowow!"

"You tell anyone I said this, I'll kick your ass and feed your nuts to my snakes, got it!" She roared!

"Got it, yes, ow! You're ripping it!"

"Fine," She released him, but started to rub his ear gently, snickering at the funny pout he gave her. "You were right, Naruto. Who knew that what you wanted from me was something I should have agreed to all those years, huh? I mean, I got advice from the weirdest places."

"Huh?"

"Well, one from Might Guy."

Naruto's eyes bulged.

"Yeah, in the Laundromat, of all places."

"Wow, you were desperate for advice. That's like taking gambling advice from Tsunade."

"Shut up," Anko barked at him, reached over with a kunoichi quickness and putting him in a powerful head lock that reminded him very, very much of the one's Sakura used to give him, "I got advice from her too, you shit! So, go figure! One of the greatest shinobis who is also one of the best teachers to Genin and the best medic nin who is also the fucking Hokage told me the same, exact crap that you've been trying to drill into my head, okay! They said you were right and I'm...I'm..."

Releasing him, Anko sighed noisily as Naruto choked to catch his breath again.

"...I'm agreeing with them, okay? Oh, don't be such a pansy. You'll be okay in about half a minute or so. Geez, what a wimp."

When the stars started to diminish, Naruto's color came back to something other than blotchy red. There, leaning against him, Anko tried her best to give him a winning smile.

"So, when do we get your mess out of this shit hole and you shack up with me? By the way, we're having more ingredients for dango than ramen in my cupboards. Deal with it."

"Isn't the girl supposed to move in with the guy?" Naruto huffed at her.

"Yeah, that's funny," She scratched her cheek and smacked him in the back of the head. "Whenever you're ready, reality is going to keep doing that to you. Got it?"

"Yeah...got it." He rubbed his head and carefully...

...oh, so carefully...

"Hey, Naruto, I'm right here and naked. What the fuck?" She narrowed his eyes at him in a deliberate show of annoyance.

...moved further and further away from her.

"You know how you just said 'reality' is going to keep smacking me?"

"You're going to say something stupid, aren't you?" Anko folded her arms over her naked breasts, scowling at him.

"It's...reality, so...if it's stupid, than it's stupid...but it's honest."

Anko simply tapped her fingers impatiently against her forearm, simply waiting...

"Anko-chan," Naruto's lips pulled back into a bright, winning smile. "I haven't been a virgin since the night I left Konoha two years ago."

Naruto was expecting anything, everything that could get him out of the way of an assault of projectiles, large or small, but found one of the worst things he absolutely hated to see on Anko.

It was the same look she got when her seal was acting up, but, this time, it was right over her heart...and it lasted all but a second.

"Oh."

He waited for it...waited for it...waited for it...

"Ah, hell." Anko pulled herself off to the side of the bed to start putting her clothes on. When she stopped to stare at the wall, she asked, "So...what can I say? I mean, what have I been saving myself for these last two years? Wow, what a baka, huh?"

Naruto sat on the other side of the best, just out of striking range, and answered, "You told me you weren't going to stop seeing people, Anko. From our last conversation, you told me the same thing I'm telling you. I listened to you and took your advice. Hell, you even told me that being around that old pervert Jiraiya was going to corrupt me so why the hell not follow along in his footsteps? It can't be all bad learning the habits of one of the Sannin."

"I think the people of Konoha would not agree with me following in the footsteps of Orochimaru, Naruto." Anko grumbled unpleasantly, grabbing a shin guard and strapping it to her bare leg.

"I was talking about enjoying the time with women, Anko-chan, not doing weirdo research experiments on little boys because he's got erectile dysfunction!"

Naruto could feel the restraint coming off of Anko when he threw that last barb. Reeling back, he was reminded that, yes, the man was an absolute bastard and evil memory for Anko, but she had loved him as she had much as she had Naruto.

Yeah, it was fine for her to vent all her anger and frustration about the snake master all she wanted, but woe to those who would cross his name in her presence.

"Don't talk about him like that," She hissed, one brown eye squinting in warning, but eventually softened enough to show a vulnerable woman trying to hide her pain. "So...you're a big stud now, huh? Should have known with how quickly you were able to figure out how tab A goes into slot B. So, there was a lot of lucky girls huh?"

She got up, one leg wearing a shin guard and her trench coat still around her shoulders, and paced over to Naruto's small pantry.

"Where's your sake?"

"Huh?"

"I'm NOT talking about this sober, so you better have some fucking alcohol in here!"

"I just got back! I don't have anything, remember? Besides, it's three in the afternoon!"

"Tough!" She snarled, eyes glossy to the point of near tears. "I don't want to feel like this and I'm not fucking prepared to hear this shit, got it?"

"Fine, we can talk about it later after we go get something to eat," He offered, gesturing towards the shower, "But how about getting cleaned up first? We're kind of...well...sticky and smelly."

Glancing down at herself, she growled and pushed past him.

"Hey! Wait, you're not leaving like that!" He tried to get in her way, but was dealt with a harsh hip throw that he was semi expecting.

Rolling with it, he pulled her to the ground and was rewarded with her momentum pulling him below her to get the positional advantage of being on top.

Anko blinked at the neat maneuver.

"You said you wanted me to practice on my escape techniques, remember?" Was his cheeky reply.

"Oh, yeah, I remember," Her famous grin graced her lips, "By the way, why do you have a tick on your balls?"

Naruto's eyes bulged in fear as he looked down at his very priced package with an inspection worthy attention.

"Dumbass," Anko snarled, shifting her elbows out to break his hold, arching her back upwards to bounce him high enough to slip a knee under his butt and kick while pulling his very muscled form off of her.

Just as she started to get on her feet, Naruto grabbed her from behind in a bear hug. Arms pinned, she growled as she writhed, trying to slip under his grip, throw her head back to bust his nose, stomp on his feet, anything!

But, as it would seem, Jiraiya had taught him to cover himself well and position himself, and her, ducked at her shoulder blades and cocked so she couldn't get too much leverage to do anything.

"Hey," She chuckled, forcing herself to breathe least he take her breath from her, "this kind of kinky. Wanna kiss me first?"

"Not till you put some clothes on! You're not going out there naked!"

"Yeah, like that's the first time I've ever done that. Nice hold, by the way."

"Thanks!"

"Jiraiya teach you this?"

"Yep."

"Wow. So were you the taker and him the giver? I can see it happening like that."

Naruto's grip on her tightened and, as much as she hated to admit, he learned quite quickly that he wasn't going to be tricked into distraction again.

"It's not working, Anko."

Sighing, Anko glanced around herself. "You do know there is a weakness to this hold, right?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, when you have your head down so I can't break your nose, you make yourself vulnerable to something."

"What's that?"

"You lack the ability to be aware of your surroundings."

"Huh?"

Propping her feet against Naruto's fridge, she launched herself backwards so hard it crashed them both through his door in a confetti of splinters. Tumbling to a stop on the open balcony, Naruto and Anko were soon about to start up again, this time Anko sitting on Naruto's chest with one hand in his hair and a growl about to escape her lips, when a presence became known.

Thrown to the side with some of the door debris, Hyuuga Hinata had landed on her butt with a pair of pants, that may have been folded at one point, but now strewn across head like a horribly done bandage.

Seeing Naruto and Anko, daringly naked and in a position where they were in the process of doing something very vigorous after an obviously noisy commotion in his room, Hinata's face had only a few seconds to process what she was aware of till...

"So, what are you looking at?" Anko asked in annoyance, "Ever see two people fight and fuck like demons before? We're in love! Either join in or get lost, Princess!"

Thump!

...she fainted.


	9. Ch 9 She Will Be Honored

**AN: Happy Easter, everyone!**

**Your Mistress.**

* * *

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 9 She Will Be Honored

_Where am I?_

"Is this why you don't want to marry me? Is it because of her! You finally found her and you want to trade up? Huh? I'm good to fuck but not to go the distance with? Are you two screwing between missions and she just came by to keep you warm since the village whore bores you to tears? Answer me!"

_Is that Anko? She sounds mad at…who is she talking to?_

"I…*cough*…don't know what…*gag*…you're talking…*choke*…about!"

_Naruto-kun? Why is she mad at him? Why am I here in the first place? Oh, that's right…_

"Oh, what happened? Do you forget her until you slip your dick in her? Answer me now! Now! Now! Now!"

"You're…*BAM!*…killing…*BAM!*…me…*BAM!*…Can't…*BAM!*…breathe…*BAM!*…Don't…*BAM!*…know…*BAM!*…her…"

Hyuuga Hinata opened her to see Anko, still in her trench coat, straddling Naruto with her hands around his neck, shaking him with all her strength to get him to answer. Despite his feeble attempts to assuage the snake mistress that he didn't remember her, much to her disappointment, he didn't seem to be gaining any headway with her.

"Anko-san," Hinata's soft spoken words caught the Special Ops Jounin's attention, her venomous glare zeroed into the light purple pupil less eyes of their visitor, "I just came by to return these to Naruto-kun."

In mid head planting the blond Jinchuurik's head into the balcony, Anko blinked her brown eyes at the orange and black pants Hinata was offering.

"So you DO KNOW HER, you slut! You lied to me! I'm going to kill y-"

"He dropped them last night by the house when you two ran away!" Hinata screamed as high as her cultured voice would allow.

Anko paused her rant to consider Hinata's words.

"What are you, a freak'n stalker?" Anko shoved Naruto's head into the floor as she redirected her anger, facing Hinata fully nude, shoulder's squared. "What? You get your rocks off by seeing your old crush boning? Go away, already!"

Hinata surrendered the pants in front of her. Stepping back, but, seeing Naruto was now enjoying a reprieve from having his head smashed, she did not excuse herself. "I came to give these back and inform him that Hokage requested his presence."

Anko grumbling something sour under her breath, "Fine, he got the message, now go."

Hinata fidgeted her gaze from Anko, then back to a semi conscious Naruto, and back to Anko. "With all due respect, Anko-san, I will be happy to escort him to the Hokage office as soon as he's decent."

Anko's knuckles cracked threateningly, "Scram, Hyuuga."

Swallowing hard, Hinata stiffened her back and found enough courage to just shake her head in the smallest way.

Giving the indigo'd hair teen one of her patented smiles, she widened her stance and said, "Girl, this is gonna hurt."

Hinata's mouth moved to rebuttal, possibly even match the threatening stance with one of her own, but Naruto groaned by Anko's feet, drawing her attention.

"GGggawwwwwhhhh…"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata walked over to him, properly sitting on her shins, and leaned over his rolling eyes. "Are you okay?"

Xxx

He had been hit by another one of Anko's wrathful fits.

It wasn't a hard thing to know he could have fought Anko before things got out of hand, but he just didn't have the heart to. Yes, she was loud. Yes, she was abusive. Yes, she was angry and violent…

Yes, her reputation was as clean as a pig's stye…

Yes, she was crying.

He didn't want to hurt her like this. If anything, he wanted them to be friends again, like they had been so long ago.

He understood, finally, truly comprehend what she was trying to tell him all those years. When he went on that date with Ayame before leaving for his training with Jiraiya, the first thing he noticed was, as much he really wanted to get to know her better outside of ramen (which he considered an amazing bonus should they start to get serious), she just didn't understand _him_.

Naruto tried. He really, really, tried to see what she saw was one of the most romantic movies she held so dear to her heart.

It bored him to tears.

For her, this was a moment she wanted to share with him affectionately, possibly even further should time and presence allow. The young Genin knew this and held her chastity in the palm of his hand. While many a young lady had not received the same level of reputational protectiveness she had, Ayame was a young girl he held at a higher esteem, deserving to be shielded from a boy who would use her, especially from himself.

So with a kiss good bye, they moved on.

Anko and him talked afterwards, and she pointed out the obvious as to why Ayame didn't perceive what he did in the world.

The girl was a civilian, oblivious to the majority of a Shinobi's life. Who had time for long, enduring, romantic courtings with potential pairings that would take years in the making? If there was love to be had, then be loved or give love. If there wasn't love, then take what affections you can and never look back.

Ayame wasn't a dumb girl, being a survivor of one invasion already, but she couldn't see life as Naruto had.

On a small part of his mind, he asked himself if he should have given her more time. He has survived this long, despite having close calls here and there. Could more emotional bonding have happened during his time away?

Thinking back to all the women he's slept with after leaving with Jiraiya, he would not have experienced the bliss that those one night escapades brought him had he kept his relationship with Ayame.

Was love worth more than that?

Possibly.

Anko seemed to think so and she had more than surpassed his numbers of warm bedside lovers exponentially.

Was this a moment he should reconsider with her?

Maybe, but, as of now, it was just safer to keep things as they were. No one could get hurt if promises weren't made.

This was safe…or was it?

"…this is gonna hurt."

That was Anko's voice; gruff, rough, no nonsense and itching to rumble.

Groaning in a voice that reflected his dizziness and aching head, a soft, warm, feminine murmur reached his ears like a song from a siren's call.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?"

Concern, sympathy, a peaceful serenity made it through the chaos of the thundering headache he was having…

…then he opened his eyes.

There she was; a dark haired creature of heaven come to raise him to Kami, to his parents, his mother and father…

It made him ache at how beautiful she was, with a skin that glowed, with dark black blue hair that reflected light as a raven's feathers and as long and velvety soft when it fell over his face. In her voice, in her eyes, in the chew of her lip, he felt her presence as well as see her as she hovered just inside his sight. It didn't take a doujutsu to know she worried about him. The sunlight graced her profile, showing that she was young, her body curved generously, softly, built for comfort more than speed.

Had he died and this was the messenger to greet him?

He had to know.

"Are you…an angel?"

Like a rose, something pink and pretty blossomed across her cheeks. It was adorable and vulnerable at the same time.

She smiled at him, but she also shook her head in the smallest way.

"Hey," Anko's grim scowl peeked across from this new presence. "I swear to Kami if you two start making out, I'm going to throw you over this balcony and beat you both within an inch of your fucking lives."

Rolling his blue eyes, Naruto was about to tell Anko to stop over reacting when the woman who had asked of his well being, now pinch her thin eyebrows and lips to rebut in a voice to scold as heatedly as she could. "You will not hurt, Naruto-kun!"

Folding her arms over her modest breasts, Anko mocked their new visitor, "Hurt him? Hmph, Princess, he likes it rough."

Anko's remark took some steam out of Hinata's glower, but it returned with a cool façade Anko had seen many times on a Hyuuga.

"I see," Hinata replied coolly, folding her hands primly. "None of this is my business, but the Hokage still requires his presence."

"We got the message, now shoo." Anko flicked her fingers at the mid teen heiress.

"I will not," Hinata stood her ground, returning the Jounin's glare with a defiant lift of her chin. "My duty was to relay the message and confirm he is on his way."

"And this?" Anko snatched the orange and black pants, then throwing them straight at Naruto's face.

"I am returning what belonged to him, plain and simple. He dropped them when you two fled the outside of my home last night."

"Last night? Oh, so when we were going at it like beasts!" Anko grinned in a more friendly demeanor, "Why didn't you say so?"

Hinata just shook her head.

"So, you two don't know each other?" Anko settled into the truths bore before her, "No bullshit?"

It was Hinata's turn to look amused and disappointed at the woman before her. "I have heard a lot of things about you, Mitarashi Anko-san, but for someone who has been praised as a top kunoichi to be admired among our ranks, you seem to have a hard time looking underneath the underneath. Meeting you has been a sore reality to the legend everyone paints you as."

Whatever smile Anko had that offered a sliver of friendship turned malicious. "Don't underestimate me, girl, I can hand you your head five times over before you can blink."

Accepting her threat without another word, Hinata glanced over to Naruto. He seemed to appreciate Hinata's moxie with a smirk gracing his lips. It wasn't too often someone would boldly hold a pious view over Anko and lived to tell about it.

"I will wait for you here, Naruto-kun."

"Nah, no need for that. Come on in," Naruto's eyes lingered over Hinata's fine form, his smile growing warmer when Hinata responded shyly, digging her toe into the ground, moving a lock of hair that crossed her face.

"Sure, why not?" Anko huffed, slapping the piece of the door that was still partially hinged from the frame, "I hope you don't mind, we were in the middle of remodeling the place."

Hinata didn't need the Byakugan to see the shambles his abode was. Lifting her hands to decline, she could already see Anko's smile growing.

"Th-that w-won't be n-necessary," Hinata stuttered, blushing crimson down to her neck, "I-I'll be f-fine here."

"You're stuttering?" Naruto chuckled teasingly, finally coming to his feet to tower over Hinata almost a good foot. "Why?"

"I-it's your…y-your…ano…" Her fingers started tapping, glancing from Naruto and Anko, then down to the shambles their clothes were in, "…private…home."

"What she means is, this is where we fuck, Naruto," Anko felt like putting her finger down her throat and gag at the high society propriety Hinata was displaying. "Isn't it, princess?"

Hinata looked away, shrugging her shoulders. "Th-that…well…and…it's…h-his…well…y-your…h-home, Naruto-kun."

Shy lavender eyes peeked sideways to Naruto, tucked beneath dark blue-black bangs.

"My home? What's wrong with-"

"By KAMI, you're stupid!" Anko kicked what was left of the door down and screamed at the top of her lungs. "She's only been in love with you since the first years of the Academy! Now let's get in the shower because the Hokage is waiting for us!"

Hinata's cheeks tinted darkly, humiliation nearly breaking her posture to that of an old woman.

Naruto let Anko's words sink in, eventually turning to look down at the dark beauty before him, "Is that true? You…liked me back then?"

Chewing her lip, Hinata twisted one way and then another, ready to faint in front of her long time crush just to escape the events that were now presented before them, but, if she was going to allow this part of her life be realized, she would be as brave…

…at least that's what she tried to tell herself.

"Hey."

Hinata looked up to his amazing blue eyes, wondering upon wonders if, by some chance, she and him could somehow be friends. Maybe, by whatever fate Kami or the current fighting between villages would allow him to look at her with some kind of…

"I don't even know your name."

…recognition.

She tried not to let the crushing disappointment set in, but it was done.

Try as she might, she decided if Naruto didn't know her in their past, was it so bad that he was making an attempt to know her in the present?

It was worth something, wasn't it?

"Hyuuga Hinata," She offered a polite bow, perfectly bent at her back.

"Uzumaki Naruto," He bowed as well, smiling.

"And I'm his fucking girlfriend," Anko hooked her fingers into the back of Naruto's hair, dragging him screaming backward into his bathroom with his pants draped over his shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Didn't you hear? The Hokage's waiting!"

Hinata wanted to call out that the Hokage only requested for Naruto's presence, but, seeing as how reasonable Anko was taking things, she decided to politely wait outside of Naruto's apartment may be the best choice.

Besides, if they wanted to go for another…round, it would probably be best Hinata heard as little as possible.

Curious…as she has been as of late now that her Academy crush at least knows of her existence, she activated her doujutsu.

_Byakugan._

"EEep!"

It would seem that Anko's rage was also very…erotic.

Hinata fainted against the wall right then and there.

Xxx

"You've been busy," Tsunade flicked a paper in front of her, setting it off to the side with the others.

Next to her, Jiraiya reached over to tilt it so he could read it better. "A gathering with this much short notice? I'm impressed at the haste you've put this together, but for what purpose?"

Shikamaru slouched in front of both Sannin, with his father, Nara Shikaku standing behind him, supporting him quietly.

"We have yet to select a list of demands for Suna, correct? I have a suggestion that may calm things."

Tsunade and Jiraiya did not miss the too cool tone he conveyed to them, especially with the way his eyes seem to be trying to stiletto holes on the desk in front of him.

"Does this have anything to do with Shizune taking time to collect information at the hospital?"

Jiraiya took note of her impatient inquiry.

"I did ask her for some guidance. Am I not allowed to ask a medic nin for help with a proper background in a specific field of interest?"

"That depends," Jiraiya interjected, "if that field will some how cause problems with the future of Konoha."

"Does it?" Tsunade asked behind her steepled fingers.

"I believe that it may be premature to answer that until we get the facts from Shizune," Shikaku intervened before his son could answer. "Without her professional medical guidance, it may go one way or the other."

"Then why should she allow your suggestion to be considered into the quorum?" Jiraiya crossed his arms over his massive chest, smiling but keeping his keen eyes on the revenge hungry youth. "Tsunade's the finest medic nin in the world so there isn't a thing you can say to her that she wouldn't be able to answer here and now, possibly even preventing you from making things worse when this meeting is initiated."

"Are all the other Clan Heads going to be grilled what their suggestions are going to be prior to the meeting?" Shikamaru asked heatedly. "I thought we had the right to bring up our opinions, suggestions, and vote according to our beliefs in a different perspective that was granted to us as founding Clans."

"Don't quote rules to me, Nara Shikamaru," Tsunade snapped at him, "I've been doing meetings before your father was ever born and I will not be talked down to about your rights! The other Clan Heads will be there, but I'm taking everyone's situation into consideration. Inoichi, Chouza, and, yes, your family have very distinct reasons as to why I am combing over your presence for this push to meet everyone."

"We're all worried for war, aren't we?" Shikamaru ask incredulously. "Isn't that reason enough, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade stood up, about ready to lunge, but Jiraiya placed a meaty paw on her broad shoulder.

Shikaku also gripped Shikamaru's vest, "That is no way to speak to your Hokage."

"Now, now," Jiraiya rubbed the green jacket of Konoha's leader affectionately, "even if we don't like each other's opinions, let's remember we're all on the same side. Right?"

Tsunade rubbed her face with her hand, turning her golden eyes towards a stewing Shikamaru, then to his father.

"Nara Shikaku, do you know what he intends to suggest at the quorum?" Tsunade asked with a forced inquiry.

The Nara Clan Head nodded, "I do."

"What is your opinion on it?"

"It will be," Shikaku chose his words carefully, "Unexpected and unconventional, but it is a different direction no one would have considered."

"Do you support it?" Jiraiya's friendly smile disappeared, replaced by a man who was three times the veteran Shikaku was.

Shikaku responded back, pulling his son to his shoulder and glaring back with an experience neither Sannin could comprehend. "I am his father and I am here to guide him however I can. Of course, I support it."

Shaking their heads, it was not an answer they had wanted.

"Very well," Tsunade sighed, "I have already approved of the meeting. The messengers have already been sent, but I was hoping to find out more from you, Nara."

Both father and son nodded.

"If there is nothing else?" Tsunade was ready to dismiss them, when Shikamaru called out.

"There is," Shikamaru pulled a paper from the docket he was holding. "May I include a few more people to the meeting?"

Jiraiya's eyes shot up, mimicking his old team mate's.

"Why do you need more people? Who are they?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

Shikamaru pushed a scroll in front of her, allowing her to open it and skim it quickly.

Jiraiya was the first to chuckle. "Not a bad angle, kid, but you don't really expect her to agree to this, do you?"

"This is just part of it, but it does serve a purpose." Shikaku answered.

"We don't normally allow non Clan heads into our meetings, Shikamaru." Tsunade snorted ready to flick the scroll back at him.

"I only request it for five minutes. I'm sure our guards can handle them."

Tsuande ground her finger nails against the top of the desk, ready to deny him, but Jiraiya patted her shoulder again, "You haven't participated in any of the meetings till the last one, Shikamaru, so you may be unfamiliar with the proceedings. This act would be pushing the boundaries of your rights."

"With all due respect, Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku answer in his son's stead, "You haven't been to many of them either with in the past decade. We, as a whole, are pretty flexible just so long as order and respect for each other's word is minded."

With a smirk, Jiraiya simply nodded. "Alright, that's fair."

Tsunade opened her draw, took out a stamp and pressed it against the bottom of the scroll. Taking her pen from an ink well, she signed her name right next to the wet mark.

Tsunade called for her assistant temporarily replacing Shizune. "Get this filed and sent to the ANBU guards, allowing these guests."

"Hai," The assistant left.

Shikamaru bowed low, "Thank you for allowing me to represent my suggestion, Hokage-sama."

Shikaku followed his son's bow.

Tsunade grumbled heatedly at their bent postures. "Don't make me regret this, you two."

Jiraiya waved at them, just as they stood up straight to head towards the door.

"Well, that was fun," Jiraiya chuckled, glancing at the names on the list. "What do you think he's going to do?"

"Not what I expected, that's for sure," She huffed, "He wants to include the wives of the Akimichi and Yamanaka Clans, as well as a few infants from the local orphanage. Why?"

"He's preparing his background argument with some visual aids, basically." Jiraiya assumed. "Whatever he's getting at, he is hoping for sympathy."

Tsunade hummed, intrigued, "Well, that sounds more positive than what I was expecting from him."

"What did you think he was aiming at?"

"What else?" Tsunade rolled her neck, massaging a stiff muscle that didn't want to yield. "Sabaku no Temari's head on a stick."

xxx

The seals on Inoichi's cage disappeared.

The Yamanaka Clan Head looked up from his seat, glancing at a bird masked ANBU who was unlocking the door.

"The Hokage has released you so that your seat in the quorum is filled. Depending upon your behavior, you may or may not be released from confinement."

Accepting his freedom, Ino's father followed compliantly.

Xxx

"This will be your first time to witness a Clan Meeting, Hanabi. I expect you to represent our family with dignity and honor while we discuss matters concerning the future of our village."

Hiashi personally examined his daughter's yukata; seeing that every tie was in place, her chin lifted with the right show of dignity and pride, that her back was straight and her eyes ever forward.

"Hai, Otou-sama."

"As future heiress, you will become what your sister could not," Hiashi strod forward towards the exit of their ground compound.

Cadet Branch members bowed to them at their passing, murmuring their names reverently.

"Hai, Otou-sama." Hanabi parroted, but asked something besides her agreeing mantra. "Will Hinata be joining us?"

Making a small noise of disagreement, Hiashi gave the smallest nods. "She will, but not much longer. Her position is to be forfeit once she is married off now that she is about to come of age in a few months."

"When she turns sixteen."

"Hm," Hiashi agreed. "The Land of Greens has a Daimyou whose cousin is next in line to take over. I think she would be happy there."

"Isn't she doing well as a kunoichi here, Otou-sama?"

"She is," Hiashi sniffed, "but hardly worthy for the title of heiress. You have surpassed her time and time again, Hanabi, so that she can't even beat her own sister who is five years her junior is unacceptable. During missions, her heart is always leaning towards peace and not fulfilling the duties that require her to make hard decisions."

Hanabi nodded, "Onee-san has always been soft hearted, Otou-sama, like mother."

The mention of his beloved wife gave Hiashi pause.

"That is why I think it would be good for Hinata to find her happiness in the Land of Greens. The people there are a lot like her. She would be happy with people who see the world as she does."

"Hai, Otou-sama," Hanabi continued to follow her father to the meeting that would determine the lives of their village.

Xxx

**Suna, Kazekage's Office.**

"She's gone, Kazekage-sama." He guard called out, kneeling before him. "This letter is all we found."

The Kazekage glanced at the scroll placed before him and the bamboo screen. One of his guards picked it up and showed it to him, waiting permission to open it.

With a delicate nod, the guard opened it and read it.

It took only a glance for the reader to see he should not speak the words written on script. "Kazekage-sama, it may be prudent for you to personally read or have a scribe-"

"We want you to read it," The voice was soft, commanding without a hint of anger.

Swallowing hard, the man did so.

_"Father, for the longest time my brothers and I have done all we could to protect Suna, each other, and you…exactly in that order. When our mother died, we believed it was for the sake of Suna, its betterment and protection as the council and the public were told. Sacrifices needed to be made. People would be lost. Suna wasn't just our home, it was our legacy to be passed down from one generation to the next, something bigger and greater than any one individual._

_I am and always will be proud to have been born here. _

_My people are strong and our heart as uncatchable and undeniable as the wind._

_The sun can not destroy us. The cold will not break us. Lack of water, lack of affection, lack of greater things will not make us yield to anything!_

_I believe in that, just as I turn myself over to Konoha that, as one individual can do something to protect the whole. I know what they want from us because I have started something I intend to finish._

_No one here will mourn Gaara, but I will. He is your son,"_ the reader paused, hoping he wouldn't be speaking his last words of breath.

The Kazekage made no move to end his life, so he continued.

Swallowing, he did so.

_"He is your son, just as Kankarou and I come from our mother's womb. We are alike because have used family to pursue our own selfish purposes. You used our mother to give birth to the Jinchuuriki, Gaara, my brother, and that killed her. Gaara housed the Shukaku, one tailed demon tanuki, which has drove him mad, and eventually caused his death in Konoha. You have used your brother in law, my uncle, Yashamaru, to try and assassinate my brother. I have used my brother, Kankurou, to assist me in trying to kill Gaara's murderer, Nara Shikamaru. To my deepest regret, that failed and I take full responsibility for his death. Now, I must do what is needed to protect those people who I have shamed with my actions:_

_My people._

_I say 'my' people because, on my mother's and brothers' graves, I am not doing this for you, but for the people who I have always wished to enjoy a lasting peace. Not the false peaceful dreams of a man who has grand ideas at the costs of his people who love him and then discards them without considering their actions."_

All the guards and Council Members present fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Continue." The Kazekage spoke.

_"I pray Konoha takes my willing sacrifice and ends whatever hatred they have for us. In time, they may consider trades again or, at a minimum, will not put some kind of embargo on our village. Our people deserve to be protected and flourish without the cost of our lives, no, their lives. As the last remaining heir of Sabaku, I, Temari, will give myself to whatever justice Konoha has planned for me. What I do now, is not for you, father, but for my brothers, my mother, and for my people."_

_Your Last Heir,_

_Sabaku no Temari._

_PS-Don't come looking for me, because we both know you will only do so out of a sense of duty to save face as opposed to the love of a father."_

The room was quiet.

The Kazekage considered the faces of everyone who had witnessed the letter's petulant words.

"What word has come from the Daimyou and Tani?" he asked quietly.

A council member to his right answered, "Without knowing the reason to exhaust his army, he can not send any troops to support your requests. After our near invasion of Konoha last time and the deaths of your ch-"

The council member cleared his throat when he noticed the Kazekage's eyes open wide in anger.

"-the deaths of Gaara and Kankurou, he believes you may not be in the right state of mind to seek the support you desire. Since the Leaf is starting to fortify his borders as well as ours, he believes negotiations should be prudent to at least buy us some time."

"So, our Daimyou is prepared to surrender without a fight?" The Kazekage asked, more to himself than to the council member.

"If you wish for me to relay that message, Kazekage-sama, then I will have it written up and-"

"Do not be foolish, because we are not amused," The Kazekage whispered softly, gesturing dismissively. "What of Konoha?"

"We are sure they have received our offer and awaiting their reply."

Everyone waited to hear what the Kazekage's next words were going to be. When he spoke, it was with words that gave everyone pause.

"Have we been successful in recapturing the Shukaku?"

Council members glanced left and right. Finally, the one to his left spoke, "All efforts to seek out the Tanuki have been reduced for the sake of protecting our borders. We also don't know if the spirit has come back to Suna or lingers in Konoha."

"Wasn't the purpose of the Bijuu Container to bring the demon back should the Jinchuuriki vessel die?"

"It has been so in the past, but it would seem the spirit has somehow freed itself."

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed in displeasure. "How?"

"We don't know, Kazekage-sama," The councilman paled. "We don't have the necessary resources or skill to answer that."

Threading his fingers, the Kazekage spoke with grim finality, "Then we must make it so we do. The two top Seal Masters currently reside in Konoha and Kumo. Let us see if we can make a deal with Kumo."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," A scribe started to make a note to prepare a messenger bird.

"In the meantime, bring all our shinobi back."

The council members and guards shifted uncomfortably. "But, from our borders, Kazekage-sama?"

"We believe we said that," he turned an irritated eye towards the one who questioned him. "Send half of them to protect our resource supplies: water, food, civilian population that outline all of Suna."

"We will leave our borders…unprotected?" The other members, including the guards didn't like where this was going.

The Kazekage nodded. "The rest, send out to seek the spirit of Shukaku."

"And your dau-Temari?"

"We will honor her with a hero's funeral for the sake of protecting Suna." He answered simply, "She has been killed by Konoha. Temari will be honored as a martyr and a hero. It will surpass the reality of what she has done."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," The other councilmen agreed, but decided to ask, "Kumo will seek something very precious in return for helping out to find the Shukaku."

"We believe there is something we can attain for them that they would find worthy of their craft."

Every councilman and shinobi there decided not to ask. Whatever it was, the Kazekage seemed eager to do it.


	10. Ch 10 Preparing

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 10 Preparing

Temari felt her consciousness surface like a sickness.

Everything hurt; her limbs, her joints, her lungs, and even the light peering through her lashes was something she remembered enduring when she suffered a week long bout with the flu. Throwing up, nausea, achiness, pressure in her sinuses...every one of her senses seemed to be at war with in which she was sure she was going to die.

Aware she was no longer in the middle of the dunes of Suna and in a building with florescent lights over head with air conditioning, which she was oddly grateful for, it didn't take long to figure out she was still alive and in the confines of her enemy.

Her jaw hurt like hell, still.

Rolling her tongue along the inside of her cheek, she could feel the tale tell marks of cuts and taste blood.

_That bitch sucker punched me_, she chuckled to herself, offering a bit of mental respect to that Leaf Jounin._  
_

Footsteps drew her notice, along with a dark haired medic pacing around her bed putting a cap on a syringe. Temari didn't have to look at her hands or legs to see she was still bound inside a prison cell.

"Sabaku no Temari is awake, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you, Shizune."

It hadn't even registered to her yet that she was in someone else's presence until she heard the two voices, both women. Try as she might to lean her head forward to see who occupied her room with her, the spasms shooting through her neck to every muscle from top to bottom suggested otherwise. Deciding to try and use her lower peripheral vision, she would have sworn her vision was playing tricks on her.

Next to the dark haired medic that had just stuck her in the arm was a blonde haired woman with the largest tits she would never thought she would see on a person of Kage standing.

It made her want to laugh. When did they select bimbos to become ruling members of a country as powerful as the Leaf?

The message was not clearly lost to her visitors, especially this 'Hokage'.

"The drug that you were given is a powerful sedative meant to not just knock you out but also disrupt some of your motor coordination. You're going to feel disorientated for a while till the counter drug metabolizes it. I'd say in the next ten minutes or so." The big cow told her.

Temari wanted to tell her something, but all she could do was lick her lips dryly, offering a weak sigh when she tried to say what was really on her mind:

Her submission for execution for the murder of Yamanaka Ino.

"Would you like some water?" The blonde asked politely, cordially.

A bit of sarcasm wanted to escape her lips, telling this 'Kage' that water was a precious commodity and not something to be given away so freely to prisoners, like she was supposed to be.

Coughing unexpectedly, she decided it wouldn't do to turn away something she needed so badly...unless it was a trick.

Shizune, or at least she thought it was the dark haired medic, poured a glass of water from a pitcher, which clinked inside as if it had ice in it, and offered it to her by placing it on the bottom of her lips.

Temari eyed it warily, glancing from the cup to the Hokage.

The blonde bimbo snorted at her, in a very similar way Temari would have done if she wanted to tell someone they were being absolutely foolish.

"There isn't a thing that I won't be able to get from you should I want it, Sabaku No Temari. Nothing." The tall woman said, even going so far as to lean forward meaningfully. "I have an Intelligence team that can go inside your mind and dig out your most personal information that would give me everything you don't even know about yourself should I order it. Do I even need to go into detail about what I could have done to you in your sleep had I desired it? Please tell me the daughter of the Kazekage is able to look beyond the immediate actions of her enemies. I know we have done that for you, so, if you would be so kind, offer us the same courtesy."

She was right.

Temari wasn't giving her captors enough credit. If they wanted her dead, it would be a simple matter of stabbing or slicing her in a few choice areas and letting her bleed out. Oh, there was also the more painful tortures to include being bashed to death, extremities first and then move close to one's core, but that shouldn't deny the captor's the pleasure of simply dissecting certain parts of her and letting them infect till gangrene set in...

Those classes in shinobi torture were rather detailed and explicit.

It would seem, here in Konoha, they played a different type of game.

Feeling her vocal cords transition into something that didn't equate to swallowing glass, Temari got out what she could. "My...fault...alone..."

Shizune and the Hokage shared a look, but they both didn't seem deterred by her response.

"A good shinobi will always implicate themselves before they allow their actions to fall back on the village that sponsored them," The Hokage said, gesturing idly. "There is going to be a meeting deciding your fate as well of Suna's very soon. I have every clan in our village screaming for yours and Suna's blood. Lets not forget to mention an army of my shinobi with the capability to not only remove your home from the map but ensure any and all remnants of your people disappear."

This got her attention, even going so far as to have her shake her head, earning another sharp stab that not only went through her muscles but also through the marrow in her bones.

A gurgling cry escaped her lips, but, while it must have been horribly painful for her to move, she still tried to shake her head. "My...fault...no...one...else's!"

Shizune looked away, through distraught or personal respect for Temari's confession, it had affected her enough to feel Temari's sincerity.

The Hokage, however, was not moved.

"There are certain protocols to having a prisoner of your status under our care, especially under these circumstances. I need you well enough to ensure we can continue interrogating you to the best of your ability. Right now, it is in my best interest that you are healthy. Now, if you are thirsty, please drink."

Temari parted her lips warily, letting just the tiniest bit of water slip into her mouth. Holding it, she swished it over her tongue a few times, testing for any kind of numbing or dulling of her palate. All she felt was ice cold water that she soon swallowed gratefully.

It burned the open cuts in her cheek with its fluid chill, but that just made the water just that much sweeter.

Shizune offered her some more, giving her small sips at a time when Temari wanted to guzzle it down with choking swallows.

"Careful, you won't only end up spitting out what you drank but you'll get a cramp," The Hokage's assistant warned, "This will help hydrate you enough till we can ensure there are no residual effects of the drug."

After a generous third cup, Temari panted with silent gratitude. Her teal eyes going from one woman to the next, curious as to why they were still here and treating her with a casualness that was foreign to her father's view of 'ultimate presence' in front of the enemy.

"Are you...really the Hokage?" Temari inquired curiously, glancing from Tsunade's busting neckline to her intelligent honey brown eyes.

Standing up, Tsunade sauntered over to her patient/prisoner and smirked. "My name is Senju Tsunade."

Temari was not one to be humbled with so little words. Every shinobi worth their intelligence or at least skimmed over the Bingo book knew of the two names, Senju and Tsunade. Even the famed Chiyo, elder medic and puppet master of Suna, detested this woman before her, spouting on and on about how she was able to not only neutralize every poison in her arsenal but bring most of the attacking Leaf nins that were supposed to be dead back to life.

Temari simply nodded, knowing this woman, who she had assumed was more a trophy figure than an actual person of depth and purpose, was worthy of her claimed title.

Tsunade nodded, seeing comprehension fill Temari's once doubtful gaze.

"Hokage Tsunade," Temari called out, clearing her throat out with a few coughs.

"Hmm?"

"What's your secret?" Temari made a point of glancing at the gigantic swell of feminine mounds and then back at the Hokage's eyes.

"I have a thing for guys with long, white hair," Tsunade stood, walking past the Suna kunoichi and to the door. "Shizune will explain what is about to happen to you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Temari's jaw moved to say that was not what she meant, but she realized she was not exactly in the best position to have a 'girl talk' with the leader of the village she just attempted to kill two clan heirs.

Shizune shook her head, knowing Temari was at a loss for words. "We do things differently here in Konoha, Sabaku No Temari."

Temari could only agree with her.

xxx

"You know this is your fault," Anko grouched when Naruto's whining matched the volume of his stomach's growling, earning a suppressed giggle from Hinata and an unamused glare from the blonde Jinchuuriki.

The trio had eventually made their way towards the Hokage's tower after a lot of fighting, swearing, and name calling between Anko and Naruto. Hinata gently reminded them, whenever she was able to get a word edgewise between the shoving and snarling, that the Hokage was waiting for them and they were expected any time now.

"Oh, yes, _my_ fault. Blame me for not only trashing my front door, then try to fix it with wire, but not having enough time to get something to eat when we had the chance." Naruto complained, holding onto his middle as if the Kyuubi sealed within was about to eat itself and his whole body any second. "And Ichiraku's is right there, too!"

As they walked past, Ayame was serving a customer with a huge bowl of ramen with a heap of toppings.

"Naruto-kun! Welcome back!" She waved cheerfully, beckoning him to sit down for a spell. "How are you?"

"I'm starved, Ayame-chan!" He started to walk over to her, the smell and thoughts of a full bowl of wonderful, tasty, succulent ramen waiting to be devoured within his grasp, "and I've been great! Would you mind setting me up with a Miso-"

Before he could take three steps towards his beloved Ichiraku stand with the pretty Ayame waiting to accept his order with her eager to please smile, Anko snatched him by his ear and dragged him with pinched fingers on his lobe.

"Meeting with all powerful Hokage first then stuff your face, Gaki."

"You're killin' me here, Anko!" Naruto wined, one hand reaching out to his long awaited, savory sustenance.

"Do not tempt me!" Anko snarled, giving his ear another good yank as she had to haul him to his feet and give him a shove in the right direction, even when he seemed ready to challenge her to not move another step unless he got what he wanted.

Hinata stepped over to the stand, waved at him with two fingers and mouthed the words, "Two miso-ramen?"

Grinning, he winked at her and decided to get moving with Anko curious to his change of stubborn disposition. Looking behind, she saw Ayame giving Hinata some change along with a receipt.

"It will be just a moment," Ayame replied cheerfully, already getting a bag and disposable chopsticks prepared. "Where do you want it delivered?"

"Hokage's receptionist." Hinata gave the young brunette a polite bow. "Can you have it sent in about ten minutes? We may be a while."

"Sure!" Ayame wrote the instructions on the order, humming happily to herself. Right before she was about to confirm the order, the young cook caught the way Hinata gazing at Naruto and Anko, one complaining against the other, and sighing with a longing that was all too easy to see.

"You like him, too, huh?" Ayame followed Hinata's gaze, humming thoughtfully.

"It's not proper for me to feel anything for him," Hinata decided a spot on the ground looked awfully interesting, so much so the toe of her sandal mashed it into a little circle. "We just went to the Academy together a long time ago. He didn't even know my name until today."

"Don't worry," Ayame answered with a conspiratorial wink. "I won't try to compete with you for him. Anko is the only one in your way."

"What?" Hinata squawked, dropping her receipt but catching it in mid air before it flies away, "I don't, I mean I, well..."

"I'll have the miso sent over to the Hokage Tower. Be sure he eats it while it's still hot." Ayame gave Hinata's arm a friendly pat before a customer called for her, impatiently asking what the hold up is. "Tell him to come by anytime! Don't be a stranger yourself!"

Hinata decided that she would, indeed, come here more often when she could. Ayame was a sweet girl who had an unrequited crush with the blonde shinobi, just like herself. It may be in her best interest to just talk about what never could have been with another girl...

...if she ever got the nerve to at least admit it.

Sighing, Hinata stuffed the piece of paper in her pocket, and dashed off to quickly catch up to the dueling couple.

xxx

When she caught up, Anko put some distance between Naruto and herself to talk to Hinata.

"You have no idea how to train a man. Do you, Princess?" Anko grumbled, seeing Naruto ready to skip over to the Hokage's office with thoughts of ramen in his near future.

Hinata squirmed under Anko's accusing gaze.

"I got Naruto-kun to willingly go see the Hokage and he gets something he has wanted since he has been gone," Hinata kept her hands properly in front of her, while keeping Anko's gaze steady with her own. "I would want the person _I_ care about to know I have his best interest in my thoughts."

A small exhale of warning escaped Anko's nostrils, making them flare dangerously.

"Not everything is black and white in the real world, Hyuuga," Anko snapped, leaning forward enough to lean down and glare at her. "You want to play school girl crush with him when I'm not around, that's fine but remember one thing above all."

Anko poked at Hinata's shoulder with each word with enough pressure to bruise, "I...will...kill...for...him."

Hinata grimaced at her small shoulder, barely able to hide how much Anko really had hurt her with those simple taps.

"You seem to think I am in some kind of competition with you, Anko-sensei," The indigo'd haired teen replied, brushing her hand across her shoulder in a show of not being annoyed by Anko's physical message. "The thing is, I have already lost before he ever came back. I just wanted to do something nice for him before I leave Konoha."

Anko's eyes pinched at this, "Leave Konoha? Where are you going?"

"Yeah, where are you going, Hinata?" Naruto asked, appearing next to Anko with his hands behind his head.

Chewing her lip, she decided it was best to get her future out in the open. With a breath to embolden herself, she said steadily and with little interest, "I'm going to the Land of Greens to visit my fiancee'."

Both Anko and Naruto expressed mutual looks of curiosity.

"You're getting married?" Naruto asked with a smile, "Wow, congratulations! Who's the lucky guy?"

"Thank you," Hinata replied politely. "His name is Nakahashi Hiro."

Anko had little to say about this, thinking that this young woman before her was already set to say her nuptials and she was still fighting to get the boy she loved to accept her. What could she say, really?

"I...guess you've got yourself covered, huh?" Anko grinned cheekily, massaging a spot on the back of her head. "Wow, that's one way to ease my mind of things. Congrats and all."

Hinata simply shook her head, accepting whatever complacently offered apology the Jounin offered and just continued past both of them.

"The Hokage is waiting. Shall we?" She gestured to the tower looming in the not so far distance.

Without really anything else to delay them, the trio kept their pace and made it to their destination without further delays.

xxx

A large bear of a man with spiky white hair, blood red tears falling from his eyes that belied his usually smiling face, geta sandals on his feet, and a hiatite with the kanji 'oil' inscribed on it entered Temari's cell with a half dozen ANBU flanking him.

Temari blinked at the reception she was receiving from Konoha. They really had pulled all the stops for this event.

"You are Jiraiya, Senju Tsunade's partner and San nin," She breathed, reaching to wipe her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"Normally I would find it the height of flattery that a beautiful, young desert flower, such as yourself, would recognize me, however it would be a wasted sensation, and my own undoing, to feel anything for a woman who is probably walking to her death sentence." Jiraiya explained casually.

Life and death of shinobi, especially those who killed Konoha Clan Heirs, received little sympathy from the Toad Sage.

Temari exhaled, accepting her fate. "I will say this again, I, alone, attempted to kill Yamanaka Ino. My brother came along to dissuade me and-"

"Save it," he held up a thick paw, cutting her off. "I came here to ensure a few things before you are judged. First," He gestures to the side and an ANBU walked over to her, placing a Yukata on her lap. "You will change into this. Any clothing you have will be kept and possibly returned to you or sent to Suna should your judgement kill you."

"Kill me," Temari exhaled, swallowing hard. The very words filled her with nervousness and dread, but she tried to put on a brave face. If this was how she was going to die, it was going to be as the Princess of Suna and heir to Sabuku. "I understand."

Without wasting a moment, she started to undress. Her eyes narrowed in disdain when she saw that none of the ANBU, or Jiraiya, were going to turn their heads. The words were on the tip of her tongue for their uncivilized eyes to turn away from a lady while she dresses for the sake of her dignity, but those would be wasted words.

She would show no fear to them or that she had anything to hide.

Boldly, she met their eyes and untied one strap and then another till all of her clothes fell off in front of her. Even with her young, supple breasts exposed and the nether hairs on display, none of the shinobi around her, even Jiraiya, made a show of interest or disinterest.

Temari laughed to herself a little. She had heard that Tsunade's San nin partner was a raging pervert.

Should she feel insulted or not at this lack of desire?

Maybe it was as he said, she was someone he wouldn't even allow to feel interest in because her doom was to be met very soon.

Slipping one sleeve on and then another, she tied the robe at her front and slipped on slippers. Turning around, she lifted her arms to show she had no other piece of clothing on her.

"Your hair ties," Jiraiya gestured to his own head, "They need to be removed and your hair needs to be brushed out."

"I...see..." Temari mumbled, reaching up to undo one tie, she saw the ANBU flinch their hands over the other, signs ready to be put to use and incinerate or drown her should she even attempt any kind of last ditch attack.

"Slowly," Jiraiya warned calmly. "Oh, and just so you know, if you think of taking some of us out before you're judged to further Suna's cause, don't bother. You are the _only_ reason we haven't attacked yet."

"What?" Temari's teal blue/green eyes narrowed heatedly.

"We need to confirm if you were alone in your assassination or if you were ordered through your Kazekage. By all rights, it is a simple open and shut case why we should just bury Suna in it's own dunes. If you're telling the truth, than you will be the one to pay for the crimes of Yamanaka Ino's death."

Gritting her teeth and pulling one hair tie out and then another, she accepted his appraisal. "I understand."

"Hm," Jiraiya watched her undo her last tie, gently and ever so carefully lay them out in front of her like they were as precious as a kitten.

"These were my mother's," She said outloud, for no other reason than to put them at ease. "This sash was my brother Gaara's and this hood was Kankarou's. I have nothing else on me but the skin, meat, and bones that I was born with."

Shizune walked around her, showing her the brush. "I'm going to brush your hair and see if there is anything you may be hiding that we may missed through our initial inspection."

Temari nodded, allowing Shizune to pull her long blonde locks through the bristles.

"Sabaku no Temari," Jiraiya began officially, "You are about to meet the Founding Clan Heads of Konoha to determine your fate. Since you have come here of your own free will, your behavior and your actions will determine your word. I will warn you that these are master Jounin shinobi of the highest caliber, including two San nin, the Hokage and myself, along with a score of ANBU will be watching you, so any attempts on anyone's life will not lead to a glorious death for you but just a prolonged imprisonment. Just so you know, you will have a seal on you at all times that will suppress your chakra. Do you have any questions?"

"Just one," She licked her lips, trying to control her breathing.

Jiraiya nodded, waiting for her question.

"Will Nara Shikamaru be there?"

"Hmph," Jiraiya chuckled, glancing at Shizune's knowing eyes and then back at their defendant. "Of course he is."

Some steel came back to Temari's eyes, her gaze lowering hungrily, "So that coward came to see my verdict, huh?"

"No," Jiraiya gestured for an ANBU to store away Temari's clothes into a chakra sealed bag, "Not exactly."

"Oh," Temari huffed, feeling bolder to know her brother's killer and her failed mark was going to be the last thing to see, "Is he going to be man enough finish me himself? Do the honors?"

Jiraiya's smirk took her off guard, "It's funny you should say that, because he's not interested in seeing your death at all."

"No? What is he going to be there for? Spectating my disgrace?"

"Hardly," Shizune spoke casually, putting the brush in a box and locking it up tightly, Turning their prisoner around to look her in the eye as she began to tie her hands with widow's hair rope and motion the signs for a seal to prevent chakra use be strengthened, she announce.

"He's there to defend you."

Had all the ANBU stabbed her all at once, nothing more would have taken the breath from her as sharply as those words.

"It's time." Jiraiya announced, opening the door to lead their prisoner to justice.


	11. Ch 11 First Day

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 11 First Day

The room was unassuming except for the pictures of the past Hokages along the back wall staring directly at her. While she was not really intimidated by the five photographs, it did little to put her at ease when she was facing the Third Hokage, sitting behind his son, Sarutobi Asuma, while smoking on a weathered pipe probably as old as he was.

They were there before anyone else, showing how the longest reigned Hokage had a work ethic still ruled his daily life. There was a strong sense of respect for a man who dedicated so much to his village that he would not quit even when his body told him he should. She remembered him from the exam, feeling relieved that her brother, Gaara, was going to be excused from killing Chouji.

If there was any justice in the word of a Hokage, he would defend that her brother's death has been unwarranted unless contracted to be so.

_Fat chance_, she thought to herself, taking in the grim faces as other people started to enter. _Hopefully, I can at least draw their wrath to myself and not Suna._

Asuma Sarutobi didn't glare at her or throw angry glances her way. He was a professional through and through, calmly taking a pull on his cigarette, gauging and dissecting Temari, the young woman whose family took away his students...

...except the one: Nara Shikamaru.

She gave him the courtesy of returning his stare, allowing no fear or mockery to enter his reflective inspection. There was no need for it. In the view of everything, they both lost the same amount, so, as the positions sits at this time, he was ahead and she was sure to lose.

But what were they about to gain as her prisoner?

It didn't matter, there really was only one person she wanted to see, and he was supposed to defend her.

That was a _crock of shit_ if she ever heard one. If Konoha had any sense of justice then they wouldn't allow that fucking sap be her defense, however, as her history with them seem to show, this was all a ruse from the beginning.

Shikamaru was there to ensure her demise.

So be it, let that little bastard do his worst. She was ready.

One by one other people came in, other Clan Heads. Some she recognized by their outlandish physical traits, like the Aburame's in their high collared jackets, the Iuzuka's with their red tattoo'd cheeks and ninkin following obediently at their master's heels, and the Hyuuga with their large pupil less eyes and straight dark hair.

She found it weird that the man had brought a younger girl with him and the elder boy, Neji if she remembered correctly. From her inspection, one was probably the heir and the other a servant, if the statures of positioning had anything to do with such a powerful clan hierarchy.

It didn't matter, the next to enter were the people she had been expecting for a while now.

A large man entered with porcupine puffed red hair, dressed comfortably in a yukata that seemed to be made to cover his large girth. Thick skinned and thick joweled, he bore the veteran scars of countless campaigns, but it was his eyes, sad, lost, and empty, that pulled at her heartstrings.

In them, she saw herself when she lost Gaara. He didn't seem to find any satisfaction to see Temari there, shackled and restrained in front of him.

She wasn't her son's killer, so, to him, it was just a matter of him existing to finish the rest of his life and keep his wife company.

Temari wouldn't say it out loud, but if there was anyone there who she empathized with, it was him.

Next, the man who entered was still in full shinobi gear, flak vest and dark shirt, full knuckle and forearm guards, long blonde hair with matching scars over his very handsome face.

His eyes, though beautiful and blue, were drilled into her with utter malice and vindictive hate.

She was sure there was not going to be any sympathy coming from him no matter what she said.

Lifting her chin, hoping to antagonize his fury onto herself, she hoped it would be enough to deflect his pain from Suna and focus it purely on her.

The next two made her smile, but the kind of smile that brought no happiness or joy, didn't send secret heart filled flutters of affection or mirth:

If she could see him gutted and writing before her, it would make her smile so much more vicious.

"Nara Shikamaru," She breathed the name, licking her lips as if anticipating what it would feel like to have his scrawny neck in her hands and being allowed to squeeze to her heart's content.

What little was allowed to move of her hands even twitched a little.

Behind him, was his father, coolly studying her, equally aware of the quagmire of emotions filling his son and her. There was a biblical war of unspoken animosity being shared with just a look that he knew it was only a matter of time where his son's hope for revenge was going to derail itself if he wasn't careful.

Shikamaru was not as cool as his father, his breathing deep and his eyes narrowing. Even the hands that were in his pockets were fisted, sharing her desire to finish what was started back in the Land Of Swamps.

Shikaku whispered something in his ear, breaking his son's desire to end Temari right then and there.

Pity, she would have loved to laugh at his face.

He approached her, eyes level and, to her amusement, even sitting down she remembered he was still about three inches shorter than her.

Her grin was malicious and evil, "I've always wondered what it would feel like to see you again. I can honestly say, you've been the only thing on my mind."

Her hands went to jerk at him, to feel his flesh in her hands so she could take euphoric delight in killing him.

He didn't flinch, didn't balk. His eyes never left hers, seeing the strain his presence was causing her was enough to make the side of his lips raise in vindictive pleasure. It was enough to make her want to rip out his eyes and lips with her teeth, but his next action confused her a bit.

"We must be in love then," He leaned forward, his voice dropping into something masculine, something soft and full of passion she never would have considered to hear from this boy just into his teens. "I can't get you out of my head. When I try to think of Ino, the only thing that comes up is how much I'm going to spend the rest of my life...and what remains of yours, enduring what I have planned for you. I'm going to _make you..._pay."

Temari saw the lone tear from his eyes, the calculation and the advance plans churning.

"Is everyone here?" A strong female voice called from the door entry.

Turning, Tsunade and Jiraiya were entering, making all those present stand to greet her. Behind her was Danzo, leader of Root , Homara and Komaru, the village council members.

Everyone seemed present except...

"Where's Naruto?" Tsunade barked, taking in everyone's face accusingly, curious to see who had the answer.

It fell on Hiashi when she remembered who was ordered to fetch him.

"Hinata was sent over an hour ago, Hokage-sama," Neji bowed, speaking for the Main House in his subordinate position.

"Why does 'he' have any purpose here?" Homara asked, turning to see Tsunade squarely and expecting an answer.

Hiruzen chuckled but kept his comments to himself. Asuma, on the other hand, had no such restraint. "Isn't it...November?"

Everyone turned to him, curious as to what this was all about.

Only then did the two council members realize where this was going.

"Hime, there is no way you're going to-" Komaru growled, furious that the Slug Summoner would dare reveal what has been kept under wraps for years.

"Silence!" She barked, daring anyone else to speak up.

"He's sixteen now," She let the words sink in, allowing anyone and everyone time to catch up. "Now, if that little brat can only make it to his summons on time-"

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune announced by her mentor's side, "Hyuuga Hinata and Namikaze Naruto are present."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the room exploded into chaos.

"Preposterous!" Komaru yelled, pointing at Naruto, "We all knew of his heritage, but there is no proof-!"

Tsunade flung a large envelop out into the middle of the table, allowing it to slide in front of the doubtful Elders. Pulling out the documents, disappointment and frosty acceptance took their words from their tongues.

"Those are a copy," She called out, challenging everyone with her eyes as all Clan Heads took in Naruto's last name and legacy into account now.

Hinata, aware that Naruto had just received his true name sake but felt no real pleasure of the reality, knew he must have known for a while.

It did nothing to ease the pain from his normally carefree eyes.

Tsunade walked over to him, personally handing him an envelope, "These are the originals. Your Birth Certificate, your parents marriage license, the deed to your new home and the accounts left in trust to you, Naruto-kun. Take care of them, okay?"

"You found your family," Hinata clasped her hands, beaming beautifully at him. "I'm so happy for you."

Leaning on her toes, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

It made him blush at how sweet the gesture was.

He had been realized, in front of all the Clan heads that his life was significant, that he was the progeny of one of the most powerful Hokages to ever exist, had untold fortunes in the bank of Konoha, and even allowed into the home of the prestigious Namikaze clan with some of the most guarded and well known libraries in the village...

...yet Hinata realized NONE of that mattered to him except that he had found out who his parents were.

He had known for some time that he was a Namikaze and his mother was Uzumaki Kushina, the Red Hot Habenaro or Red Death to those who made an enemy of her, but to actually be publicly recognized among the Clan Heads meant being allowed to be recognized in public as Minato's son.

That meant something. It really, really did, but for Hinata to openly congratulate him on it meant something a little more.

Turning to her and seeing her truthfully, honestly happy for him made him wonder...

...how long has she known he wanted a family?

It was curious.

Patting his arm, she heard her name called in a strict tone, making her jump.

Shyly, timidly, her head lowered as she ghosted around the tables to stand next to her father and her little sister. Neji's and her father's eyes had not left her since the time she made her arrival.

Neji was the first to speak, "We have been waiting for you."

Hinata, brow beaten and cowed, simply nodded, swallowing any rebuttal by the glower she received by all of her family members present.

_What the fuck? _Naruto grumbled, ready to intervene, but Tsunade distracted him by, personally, showing him a seat he was to occupy.

"This is your right, as it was your father's, Naruto-kun," Naruto eventually had to tug on his arm a bit before he actually pooled his attention to her. "We could very well go to war, so please do your best to live up to your family's name."

"I will," Naruto answered grimly, taking in Sabaku No Temari's presence as well as the stern faces of everyone there.

All of his peers from the Academy were there: Shino, Kiba, Hinata (now that he knew her name), except with the two that had died due to the Sabaku family, Shikamaru was the only one standing by the girl from Suna.

The eldest of the royal family from Suna: Temari.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. Chouji wasn't an especially good friend to him, but he remembered him, knew him, and that made him the first person that he was a friend to die before him in such a bloody way.

Baki had pleaded with Sarutobi to spare him and, much to the disgust of everyone there, had allowed Chouji's death to be forgiven under the constraints of the Chuunin exams.

Everyone who knew Chouji wanted Gaara's blood, but none more so than Nara Shikamaru.

"What is your reason for this, Hokage-sama?" Danzo was the first to ask, knowing there was a purpose for allowing such a public display of Naruto's heritage without consulting any of them.

"Family," She began, looking at each and everyone of them, especially finishing her stare at Temari. "It is because of family Naruto has been given this power to make claim to the station his father before him, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, to have a say in the matters of our village. Just like everyone here, we have family and friends who are with us today, joining us as citizens of Konoha with the Will Of Fire in our hearts. In each of us, our blood has been spilt and oaths have been made under our breaths to avenge that or find some kind of compensation, whether it be through violence or money, promises or any kind of debt owed or paid, we should always try to protect one another."

"Amusing," Danzo spoke clearly, unaffected by her speech, "But we are in a profession of violence, clear and simple. Whether or not we lose family or family takes from another matters little in eyes of those who want to kill or be killed. I will gladly snuff out the life of a thousand of my enemy's children before I allow them to kill those of my people."

Several head nodded to his wisdom.

Temari's lips curled, ready to say what she had already swore in front of the Hokage, but her 'defense' beat her to it.

"Sabaku No Temari and Sabaku no Kankurou didn't try to assassinate Ino or myself under the orders of the Kazekage in Settsu." Shikamaru called out, garnering everyone's attention.

Court seems to be in session.

"So you say," Tsunade replied. Looking at everyone else, they all took their seats and focused their attention on Temari. "You and Temari are the only one's who were there, but you'll have to give me more than just your opinion as to why anyone of us here should believe that?"

"It's the truth!" Temari blurted, but Shikamaru turned to her, smiling at her in a way that said he was going to enjoy his next words.

"Just shut that fucking hole of yours."

His words had been just under his breath, but it didn't take the ears of the Inuzuka, which were snickering at the violent red tint of fury marking Temari's cheeks, to know he took great pleasure in saying that.

Her glower was murderous.

"Am I allowed to have different representation?" She asked out of the side of her mouth, remembering her warning from Jiraiya that her behavior was key to maintaining Suna's safety.

Plus, as a royal of Suna, it was above her to resort to a swearing match right here in front of all the Clan Heads.

Tsunade had been expecting this. "Yes. Under the circumstances we can't wait for someone in our civilian sector to study your case and make an impartial defense for you on such short notice, so you will have to pick a Clan Head here. I do have to warn you, we allowed Shikamaru since he would be the least likely to support you but he knows what to expect. Him doing so is one of the only reasons we have not invade Suna yet."

Temari ground her teeth, tearing her gaze away from Tsunade then back to Shikamaru.

"I would like a moment with the defendant." Shikamaru gestured, making a few of the Clan Head show various signs of impatience.

"You can have one minute," The Hokage glanced at the clock on the wall.

Placing his hands on the arms of the chair Temari occupied, Shikamaru leveled his gaze with her's.

"Now you listen to me like you've never listened to anyone, you delusional, self righteous, annoying, poor excuse for a Suna kunoichi," Temari bared her teeth at him, eager to kill him through sheer hope, "you choose anyone else as your representation, I will make it my personal goal that every single person, thing, grain of sand and fond memory in Suna is butchered down the last child, elderly, article of clothing, or stuffed animal is gone. I can just as easily state that you came directly under the orders of the Kazekage, thus initiating a surprise attack from the north western side of Suna, blindsiding them. The Hokage will also send our own Jinchuuriki, the Kyuubi, over and annihilate whatever remaining inhabitants of your home and bring about a bloodshed that would be epic. Do you understand me?"

Twin tears fell from her teal eyes, but that didn't take away from the sheer defiance she exuded through her clenched teeth. "Yes."

"You will sit there, be my _dog_, bark when I tell you, nod, shake your head, wag your tail, and simply convert oxygen to carbon dioxide till I find a purpose you are suited for. Whether you hate me or want to kill me doesn't matter, you are here and allowed to continue to disgust me for one reason and one reason only: You _HAVE_ to live."

There was no way she was going to let the Konoha punk have this much power over her. Even if she was ready to forfeit her life, admit her defeat to her enemy, it was not going to be like some kind of whipping dog.

Giving him her best smile, she leaned over to him, grinning, not steering her face away from his, challenging him with her own hissing rebuttal, "I've never seen you this excited or this eager to do anything. Just look at you, the little boy who would barely lifted a finger in the exams now trying on his big boy underwear. Did that bimbo find a way to make your balls drop?"

Bringing up Ino had been a very tender subject for him, especially after the death of Chouji. Hearing Temari, the girl who lead the assassination of his beloved sent a fiery stake into his soul.

"I bet she had lots of practice before she finally settled with you, hmm? How many boys did she turn into men when she decided to allow you the pleasure of that unrequited thirty second romp she was secretly laughing at in the back of her mind, probably thinking of someone else?" Temari rolled her eyes to the ceiling, feigning thought, "Oh, Uchiha Sasuke. Yeah, I wouldn't take it as too much of an insult if she called his name out a few times while you two were together. After all, you were just there to keep her warm till a real man came along."

The twitch that came from his jaw and a tick that made his left eye crinkle was good enough for her.

"Do or say whatever the hell you want, Nara Shikamaru, but I am _NOT_ here to take whatever your whimsical, self empowered, smug, short, and pathetic excuse you call manhood you feel to try and hold over me. I am here for one reason and that is the same thing you are here for, too: I don't want a war. I'm willing to die for it, do anything, and go to any extent."

Shikamaru was panting with need, his hand eager to either choke her or strike her.

Seeing his restraint, she tilted her chin to the side, offering it. "C'mon, be a man for a change, something you can do for your family, in memory of your friend and that poor sap of a girlfriend that everyone had a turn at."

His fingers dug into the arm of her chair, getting closer to her, eyes bulging with release to silence her.

"You want to hit me, kill me, and play in my guts laughing to whatever sick, twisted little thoughts you have in your mind?"

Licking his lips, he nodded. "I really, really do."

"Fine," She snapped at him under her breath, "do it, but not until _after_ you prove to everyone here _I_ am the one who wanted this. Even Kankurou was against it. He killed Ino only because he was trying to prevent the message from getting back to Konoha that we had failed in killing the two of you. He's already dead, but I'm still here. Say what you want about me, you little peasant, but I _AM_ going to take responsibility for my actions and I _AM_ going to protect my people. If you have any sense of honor for your village and in the memory of your friend and lover, than you can understand where I'm coming from. If not, then say whatever you will, but, know this, I am not afraid of you or anyone else here. Got it?"

Backing away, Shikamaru nodded.

"We'll see," Was all he had to say.

"Time's up." Tsunade called out.

Shikamaru had a plan forming in his head, but it needed to be done in a way that would not only take all the attention away from Suna, but focused it purely on Temari and then towards his intended revenge.

If he happened to put that troublesome bitch in her place, why not make the most of it? There is only one person who wanted revenge as much as he did for Ino's death.

Why not let him have first dibs?

Nara Shikamaru called out to all the Clan Heads present, his eyes landing directly on Temari's face to see her reaction.

"I would like to call Yamanaka Inoichi to confirm Sabaku Temari's claim."


	12. Ch 12 Thathump

That Look: Retribution Of Heirs

Ch 12 Tha-thump

Kakashi flipped a page in his book, eying the perverse storyline with rapt interest...

...well, trying to if it wasn't for a certain someone pacing angrily back and forth in front of him.

Pacing was putting it delicately, she was stomping more than padding.

"I should be in there," Anko growled under breath, glaring at the door into the office Naruto and Hinata disappeared into along with all the Clan Heads and their prisoner Sabaku No Temari.

"I'm curious as to why you're not," Kakashi peeked over the top of his book at her, "You were the one who she surrendered to after being escorted out of Suna."

"They said something needed to be announced and cleared before I was allowed to come in. Something about Clan business."

"Oh, those," Kakashi dismissed with a blink of his eye. "It'll be over soon. Unless they let Hiashi talk, then you may want to just get something to eat, drink, take a nap, go scout for pick pockets, restock the fridge..."

"I got it, I got it," Anko grouched, "it could be a while."

A shadowy figure approached them with his broad shouldered trench coat flowing low on the floor.

"Anko. Kakashi," Morino Ibiki greeted with his deep baritone.

"You're going to have to wait, secret squirrel stuff," Anko grumbled, eying the door as if it had personally insulted her.

"Actually, I've been requested inside," He walked past the two of them, gripping the door knob to open it.

"Oh, sure, bring in the Interrogation and Torture Specialist, but leave me out it," Anko huffed, grumbling. "I'm sure I could get a few details out if I was asked."

"I was asked to bring you along, Anko," Ibiki called, opening the door for her. "We need you to verify a few things."

Anko gave a momentary start but followed through with an easy stretch of her arms, "Oh, good, about time they realized they needed the pros to go in there and square things away. No offense, Ibiki."

"None taken," He replied smoothly, not showing any more than a crack of a smile at her humor. "However, we won't be going in alone."

"Huh?" She paused at his side, studying his growing smirk.

"Thank you for holding the door for a lady," Kurenai's voice chimed silkily next to Anko, surprising her into looking over her shoulder at two crimson red eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Anko's lips curled in distaste.

"It's as you said, Anko-san," Kurenai nodded, breaching the doorway, "They need a pro to go in and square things away."

Anko didn't like Kurenai's tone. Her and the Genjutsu specialist always saw things at extreme ends in a lot of things, but they both held a deep respect for the other's field of experience.

"Then what am I going in for again?"

"Sometimes the method to retrieve information requires a crude and inelegant method, thus your experience should make you a prime subject matter expert," Kurenai's remark made Anko's hackles rise. "Another repugnant method would be for you to engaged in another one of your sexual exploits. Torture and pain is one of the preferred methods of extracting information from an enemy."

"Then there is boring them to death, lecturing over them and primly demeaning every aspect of their life in a pious overtone that leaves them annoyed enough to just want to kill themselves," Anko chewed off, grinning, "Sort of like your sex life, I'm sure. By the way, still hiding that hunk of a Saratobi in your closet? A real man needs to get out and enjoy himself. I know a dozen kunoichi who would put a smile on his lips if you're not careful."

Kurenai's small smile was utterly triumphant. "It's funny to hear you talk about love and lust so quaintly when you have no idea what you're saying. It's kind of like a Genin telling the Hokage how to use a ninjutsu. Just because you know something about sex, don't make you an expert on love or one other important thing that keeps a man with a woman."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Anko snapped, cracking her knuckles hopefully.

"Being a lady," Kurenai flipped her hair at Anko, turning to thank Ibiki, she sashayed inside with her prim head held high.

Anko watched Hinata's sensei glide inside the room with a heated annoyance that made her want to scream.

"Court will be started as soon as you enter, Anko," Ibiki reminded her, still waiting patiently by the door.

"Alright, keep your panties on," She huffed, striding forward to the door as if she owned the court chambers and to find a spot as far away from Kurenai as possible. Turning to Kakashi, she called out, "Later, you one eye'd pervert!"

Kakashi waved his fingers without looking up from his beloved book. He flipped through a few more pages before saying to himself, "I would love to be a fly on the wall when they start talking again."

xxx

As she entered, she gave Naruto a wink. Observing the atmosphere to decided a playful attitude may not be the best way to approach this scene. Every face was stoic or disturbed, angry or seething. Only Naruto's new fangirl showed any kind of remorse for Temari's inevitable predicament.

Kurenai stood off to the side, waiting to be called upon for whatever reason they needed her. Ibiki made his way forward, waiting for instructions from the Hokage now that he and Kurenai were present.

Anko was far from unfamiliar with torture sessions or interrogation techniques that veered from the civilized to the straight out gruesome, but what was about to be played out had got to be something she knew was never going to forget.

Temari was strapped to a chair by her hands, elbows, knees and feet. Wearing only her open robe tied at her hip, she stared straight ahead with her teal eyes burning into the blue, blue eyes of the man about to dive into her mind and seek out whatever information he could to confirm or deny her claim that she worked solely to assassinate his little girl and Nara Shikamaru...

Inoichi pulled off his gloves, cracked his knuckles, and began to breathe deeply, almost panting, as he licked his lips and nearly salivated ravenously as he took in his prey.

...as painfully as he could.

"There is one protocol we must adhere to with an event of this nature, Sabaku-san. We have to ensure, at anytime of your trip over here, that you or the information you have inside you was not compromised." Tsunade called out, gesturing towards Ibiki and Anko. "Ibiki has been the ear to the Third Hokage during any validation from prisoner's of war and Anko was the capturing Jounin who you surrendered to. Do you agree, Hiruzen-sensei?"

The grizzled Third Hokage simply answered, "Hai."

"Now," Drawing the attention back to Temari and Inoichi, "before we begin, ask your captor what you asked us so we can continue."

Steering her gaze away from Inoichi, Temari turned to Anko, "Did you take any information from through any jutsu before I was awake?"

Inoichi, blue eyes still locked onto Temari, reached out so that Anko could place her own head against palm. Begrudgingly, she shuffled forward to do so. Glancing at Inoichi, her prisoner of just a few hours ago, she grinned cheekily, "You're not still upset about me roughing you up a bit before-hck!"

Anko's face locked up as if she'd just been jolted by a strong electrical jutsu.

Inside her head, she felt the presence of another mind, another soul seeping into the most insecure recesses till he found what he sought out. The image played out before him, simply displaying how Anko snuck up upon Temari, their little chat, and then Temari surrendering, being sealed in a scroll, and rushed back without a break into the Hokage's office.

"On my honor, Mitarashi Anko has not attempted any kind of information seeking jutsu or any other jutsu on Temari from the time she was sealed till the time she was released into the Hokage's custody." Inoichi called out confidently, releasing Anko.

The specialty Jounin fell to the floor, one leg twitching.

Her eye, though, were promising of a not so distant retribution.

Inoichi, however, was not deterred by her ocular threat. Right now, he turned his countenance to Ibiki, who studied Inoichi's profile. After a few tense heart beats worth of time, he turned to Tsunade and nodded, "I concur with Inoichi. Anko did not try to seek out any information from Sabaku no Temari during her trip over to Konoha."

"How do I know this isn't some kind of act?" Temari asked adamant to see that her secrets were still her secrets.

Ibiki was the one to answer, "Deception is an easy thing for a shinobi to tell an enemy, Temari of Suna, but honesty from subordinate to leader is quite another thing. Before you sits the whole of Konoha. They all want war and I am the one that will steer it one way or another. We are here to accommodate you for one purpose and one purpose only: Finding out the truth. Your rights have been executed, so now it is our right to do as expected of us."

Ibiki stood before her, hands clasped behind his back, leaning down to stare at the late teen with his weathered scars taking up her entire sight. "We are going to find out whether you acted solely out of revenge for your brother, as you claim, or if you were ordered by your father, the Kazekage, and attempted to kill our two Clan heirs. Right now, that is our goal."

Temari tried to calm her breathing, but a single line of sweat fell from the side of her brow.

"What do you mean by right now?"

Ibiki straightened himself, looking down at her with a thin smile. "You are our prisoner with invaluable information concerning many of the inner workings of Suna and its securities, policies, missions, and jutsu that could assist us should we ever decide to infiltrate and invade. Whatever information we can use to destroy your village, we will take advantage of for later use."

"No!" She shrieked, throwing herself against her restraints so hard that the leather holding her down stretched noisily, "I am to blame and acted with my brother, Sabaku no Kankarou, to avenge my brother Gaara! Leave my people..."

The tall, blond haired Jounin approached her menacingly, confronting her with his presence.

"You know who I am and what I'm going to do now, don't you?" Inoichi's voice was an undeniable calm.

Temari trembled, bracing herself for what was about to happen.

"However, just as your defense has made a request, I have made two for myself," with his free hand, he touched her smooth chin so that he could feel the skin of the pretty girl who partook of his precious little girl's death. "One, is that I want you to try and fight me with all you have. Resist me, try and defend yourself against me if you want. Hide anything and everything so that when I sort through all of what is your life, you make it worth the past week of suffering I have endured knowing I will no longer be able to enjoy holding my daughter again, see her live to become a woman who loved life and family, made friends easily and would have eventually been a wife to my friend's son, Nara Shikamaru, and joined our clans in a union that would have blessed both our houses. So, Sabaku No Temari, please…hold back, stop me, take any and every effort to prevent me from succeeding. If you can beat me, then I will forfeit my profession and retire. I will give you that much of a promise, not that you are deserving of it."

If Temari had believed she could defend herself against Inoichi's capabilities as a mind reader, she had only to look at Anko, who was still trying to get her legs under her.

She had a better chance trying to revive Gaara.

"And the second request?" She asked quietly, afraid of what could be worse than what he had planned for her.

Inoichi turned to the guard at the door, nodding.

Opening it, a woman with Ino's trademark long blonde pony tail, a long sweeping bang over one eye, with a bust almost as large as Tsunade's being held in place by her chuunin vest, marched straight right next to Inoichi to glare murderously at Temari.

Yamanaka Dita had come to personally witness her husband dig into the mind of the one who was responsible for her baby's death.

"I want my wife, Ino's mother, to watch."

Temari reminded herself that she needed to do this for her people and her village. Looking into the pupil less blue, blue eyes of Ino's parents, she was positive that she would have rather had a kunai in her own hands to kill herself with. Without a doubt, she knew that Dita and Inoichi were not going to give her the luxury of letting her die quietly.

She braced herself, trying to think of as many mental protective blocks as she could. Eye's pinched, she could already tell she wasn't as ready as her false bravado made her claim to be.

No one breathed when Inoichi, who was impatiently waiting with baited anticipation, heard the Hokage call out dutifully, "Before you begin, Yamanaka Inoichi, there is something I have to ask."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Just before this interrogation, you decided to break decorum in my office and disobeyed a direct order to not harm Temari. Am I correct?"

The reality struck Temari's core, shifting her gaze from one person to another.

_Who saved me?_

Inoichi flinched, taking on the full supportive gaze of his wife. Her reaching hand entwined with his sympathetically. "Yes, I did."

"Did you stop on your own accord or did you have to be restrained?"

Shikamaru and Inoichi shared a brief glance. Ino's father still felt a lingering betrayal, or so his eyes expressed through their narrowed glare. "I was restrained, Hokage-sama.

"As a veteran and one of Konoha's top Jounin, you know as well as I do how important Temari's knowledge of Suna and of the validity of her claim to not be ordered by the Kazekage to assassinate Shikamaru and Ino. If we were to trust you and allow you to proceed, what is to stop you from doing so much damage that you very well could compromise the integrity of the information?"

Exhaling a controlled breath, Inoichi forced himself to become centered, answering his Kage with, "I give you my word I will do as instructed, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's soft brown eyes shifted to Ibiki, who had been keenly watching Inoichi. Speaking with a sharp authority, she asked, "Do you believe him, Ibiki?"

Inoichi met the Interrogation and Torture specialist's unblinking eyes. The two had worked together for years, each one giving the other pertinent information that would turn the tides of war in favor or to the detriment of the Hidden Leaf village. Sadly, they were now on opposite ends of the court room, one trying to gauge the other's fidelity.

"I believe the probability of him taking matters into his own hands at about thirty five percent, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade accepted her Interrogator's answer, repeating the probability, "Thirty-five percent. Is that all?"

Temari shied further into her chair from Ino's father, trying to make herself as small as possible. Yes, she was ready to die, but she had expected something clean, a swift kunai to the heart or across the throat. Not get into an extended torture session with a man who could delve into the deepest part of one's psyche and do untold damage from the inside of her most private thoughts.

That solid core of her spirit broke a little, hoping silently that this would end sooner than later.

In front of her, Ibiki was facing a shocked fellow Jounin. Had Ibiki called Inoichi a name, he would have been about as equally surprised.

"But...I will do my duty! Hokage-sama, please, believe me. I made a mistake, but I will prove to you I am worthy of doing this-"

"Fifty five percent, Hokage-sama."

"Damn you, Ibiki!" Inoichi grabbed the man by his trench coat lapels, bringing him eye to eye. "She was my daughter! My little girl! Don't you dare take this from me! She needs to pay! She needs...she needs..."

The soft sobs of his wife, Yamanaka Dita, were muffled at his shoulder, looking out at Ibiki pleadingly.

The Torture specialists didn't move, simply let Inoichi realize the folly of his admission. Placing his gloved hand on the blond Jounin's shoulder, he said, "My friend, I have no doubt that you are hurting. With all my heart, as your friend, and your peer, I will give you first rights to whatever pain that is coming to her, however, I can not trust you to do this job without jeopardizing the precious information we need. Do you understand?"

Exhaling a painful sigh, he croaked out, "Yes."

"I can do it." Dita offered, raising her hand to volunteer. "Please, allow me."

"No," Ibiki called out, denying her outright.

Dita wanted to object, but it went without saying that she would be just as eager to put Temari's pain a priority than to expel the information needed.

Tsunade wiped at her face in frustration. "I'm going to ask you this to simply get this out of the way, so we can proceed. Ibiki, you know as well as I do we have several Yamanaka's in our ranks that can read minds. Is there anyone that you would suggest that we can use to help retrieve the intel without prejudice?"

Ibiki considered it for a moment, then, shaking his head, he answered, "No, Hokage-sama. Most of the ANBU Yamanaka's are out at the front lines assisting with the Suna/Konoha border guards. The only one's we have locally are just Chuunin's without the necessary skill to do this delicately or with a level of precision for me to agree to their authenticity. Locally, we only have Yamanaka Dita and Inoichi, however I think allowing them to reach into Sabaku No Temari's mind would be disastrous. I honestly believe they'll enact their revenge if they were allowed to get a second into her mind."

Sighing, Tsunade glanced to both of Ino's parents apologetically, "It is by my order, that you two will be allowed to stay in this conference but are not allowed anywhere near the defendant. Any attempts on her life will place you both in jail for not only disobeying me but treason as well."

"Treason?" Inoichi murmured.

"Yes," Tsunade narrowed her eyes hard at him, "This girl has the information we need to either go to war, potentially costing us the lives of hundreds of our fellow shinobi, thus weakening our position for another attack from who knows where, and costing us whatever ties we have with other countries."

Inoichi didn't need her to go into anymore detail. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Taking his wife's hand into his own, he bowed low to Tsuande, "I beg your forgiveness, Hokage-sama. I can only hope you will come to trust my wife and I again."

Feeling as if some ground had been recovered through one of Konoha's prestigious Jounin, Inoichi sat heavily in his chair, surrounded by all the other Clan Heads that were family to him, Shikaku and Chouza. Both men patting his back, murmuring words of encouragement and heartfelt condolences. Dita sat away from him, looking older than her forty plus years, trying her best to still be a professional in spite of the maelstrom of emotions stirring inside of her.

Shikamaru seethed at Temari's side, his hands clenching at his beloved's father being denied what he had hoped would be a sliver of righteous retribution, however, just taking a look at how Ino's mother grief stricken face and Inoichi's broken posture, he knew he had failed them.

He should have known better. Why didn't he see this eventually before hand? It was clumsy for him to not expect the Hokage to suggest alternative ways of seeking out the truth without a Yamanaka. Ino's father had proven himself unable to stay focused in the office, why would he be expected to do so now?

"Who was it that saved me?"

Shikamaru remembered that she was right there, next to him, that woman who had helped rid the world of everything he loved about the Ino that brought as much headache as she did tenderness to him. Now, here was Temari, saved again by the politics and procedure of Konoha.

He needed his revenge.

"I did." Shikamaru answered quietly, regretting his words as soon as they were spoken.

Temari's teal eyes focused on him, studying how his rage was all too apparent in his simmering brown eyes. "Why?"

His smoldering glare made her shift uncomfortably in her chair.

"Because you have to live. Our revenge won't be complete unless you live a very long life."

Temari decided she needed to be more wary of him than she had originally given him credit for. Most enemies would want a swift yet painful death for their enemies. It worried her that he wanted her to live.

_But why?_

"Hokage-sama," Shikamaru called out, "if we're not going to use a Yamanaka to procure the information we need to see if Temari is telling the truth or lying, how do you plan on getting the information?"

"Ibiki will continue in his stead." She gestured accordingly. "Please, proceed."

"Hai," Ibiki beckoned to the other side of the Courtroom where Kurenai sat. The Genjutsu mistress stood gracefully, moving silently around the chairs towards their prisoner.

Unrolling a scroll on a table, an assortment of syringes, tags, and glass flasks were displayed before her. A stand was brought out with a few hooks holding an assortment of fluid filled IV bags of different colors.

Temari tried to focus forward, ignoring what was happening around her.

The medicinal smell of antiseptic was strong, making Temari swallow hard. Two crimson eyes leveled before her, promising a smooth domination in a skill she excelled at.

"Shizune, will your assistance will be needed as well." Ibiki called out, piercing a rubber topped flask and filling it with a creamy liquid. Putting the cap on it, he placed it aside and started to fill another one, this time with an amber liquid.

The Hokage's aide waited for further instruction, which was given as soon as she appeared ready.

"You're going to monitor her vitals. Ensure that her heart and other organs function normally or within acceptable parameters. There should be no need for your interference, but I don't want to spare no expense should the need arise."

"Hai, Ibiki-san."

Shizune did an inspective scan over Temari with her hand glowing green with chakra. Everyone waited quietly, allowing the scan to complete. Temari kept herself stone faced as the reflective light crossed her skin.

Shikamaru watched her, praying that he wouldn't be denied what was so rightfully his and Ino's family's: Temari's punishment.

Shizune stepped away, making her hand dispel its glow.

"Her vitals are strong, but her heart rate is slightly elevated. She is still within parameters to begin interrogating."

Tsunade accepted her aid's word. "When you are ready, Ibiki."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," He turned his bandana clad head towards Kurenai, gesturing for her to start.

"Sabaku No Temari," Kurenai's deep, smokey words penetrates the Suna nin's concentration. "I am Yuhi Kurenai and you will give me what I seek."

Shaking her blonde hair, Temari didn't even notice Ibiki insert the first needle...then the second.

With only a few moment's glance, Temari was under the genjutsu mistress's spell.

A glowing ember of purple fire flickered between the two women, drawing her captive into her soothing words. Without pause, it began to strum with a thump, thump...thump, thump...thump, thump...

"Can you feel that, Temari?"

...tha-thump...tha-thump...

"Yes."

...tha-thump...tha-thump...

"I am going to ask you a few questions and you are going to answer me. Do you understand?"

...tha-thump...tha-thump...

"Yes."

...tha-thump...tha-thump...

"Tell me, Sabaku No Temari," Kurenai cooed seductively, entrancing Temari with her comfortable voice, "Why did you seek out Shikamaru and Ino?"

...tha-thump...tha-thump...

"Revenge...we...wanted...needed...revenge..."

"We? Who else wanted revenge, Temari?"

Temari's eyes glazed over, her pupils dilating wide. Her skin flushed pale and her breathing began to quicken. Temari shook her head, trying to fight Kurenai's questions.

"Answer the quest-"

"My...father...is angry...he...is dis...appointed...in me...in us...He...tells me to go...there...my...it...hurts..."

...tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump...

One of Temari's teal eye flutters, making that side of her face wince as if exposed to a glaring light. The other bisected symmetry is untouched.

"What hurts, Temari? Tell me."

...tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump...

Temari whines, but she could only stare ahead, hypnotized by Kurenai's melodic voice. Shizune reaches her hand over Temari's neck, feeling her pulse.

...tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump...

"She's in prehypertension, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded, accepting the appraisal, but gestures for them to continue.

"Gaara...he doesn't...sleep...he hates...everyone...everything...he...hurts others...except us...he doesn't...love us...it...hurts..."

Kurenai stole a glance to Ibiki. Things weren't going right. Temari, despite the grounds they were making into pulling her into their genjutsu, she wasn't really answering what needed to be said.

...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...

They needed to get to the simple facts to move the decision of war one way or another.

"Temari, can you hear me?"

One of Temari's legs began to twitch, rocking back and forth. Whatever drugs Ibiki had injected into her system were causing side effects they were all too aware of.

Shizune did another diagnosis, turning to the Hokage, "She's in hypertension."

Tsunade considered it, but nodded. "Keep going."

...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...

"Y-yes...hear...you..." A small sliver of drool fell out of her lips and over her chin. "Hear...you...g-good..."

"Did your father, the Kazekage, send you to assassinate Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino?"

...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...

Temari's gaze found a fascinating spot on the ceiling, making her giggle. "He's...not...my father...he's...not...my father...I...take my fan...and...whoosh...there goes Shikamaru...whoosh...there g-goes Ino...all gone...all...gone...for Gaara...poor G-gaara..."

This wasn't going well. They were not getting any answers and everything was leaning towards Temari acting alone.

"N-no one...understood...him...he...didn't...want...the voice...the...st-stares...the...hate..."

"Temari, can you hear me?" Kurenai called out again, touching the girl's cheek to pull her back into her hypnotic focus. "Answer me."

Temari's eyes rolled, their teal irises dull and unfocused. "He...hates...you...all...My...father...wants...Konoha...gone...like...G-gaara...poor, poor...Gaara..."

This is what they were waiting for, hoping for.

...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...

"Did he send you to kill Ino and Shikamaru."

...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump...

"...hate...him...he...hurt him...doesn't...u-understand...him...Lazy...murdering...evil...Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru angled himself so he could see Temari's profile. He wanted to hear her say it, to hear her announce that she hated him so he could hate her that much more in return.

"And Ino, did he send you to kill Ino, too?"

...thump, thump...thump, thump...

Shizune frowned, placing her hand over Temari's heart. The rythym was very...off and unnatural.

"Ino...is...weak...Ino...is...fake...she...is just...in...the way...Go away, little girl...go away...whoosh..."

Dita's muffled her cry into her hands.

"Temari, you need to answer me. Did your father order Ino's and Shikamaru's death?"

...thump, thump...thump, thump...

"N-no...not m-my father...Kaze...kage...hates...destroy...Kon-no...noha...must...be b-better...stronger...stop...hurting...him..."

"Temari, you are upsetting me," Kurenai's scolding tone was smothering. "You need to answer me or I will-"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Temari's screech echoed off the walls, her body tensed so strongly it broke one of the arms. "LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE! NO ONE LOVED HIM, EXCEPT MOTHER AND I! WE KILLED HIM! WE...kill...you...must...kill..." Temari's head lolled to it's side, staring lazily at Shikamaru. "we...must...kill...you..."

...thump...thump...thump...

...thump...

...

"Shikamaru...must...kill...you..."

Silence.

Shizune put a finger to Temari's neck, then another over her heart. "She's in arrest!"

Temari fixated her last glare at the Nara heir, giving him whatever murderous glower she could while drug induced and hypnotized. In return, he wanted to scream for her to wake up. It wasn't fair that she died without his revenge, without any real confirmation...and, as much as he hated to admit it himself...

...he actually respected her sense of loyalty to Gaara.

He believed her.


End file.
